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City of Wollongong

Creeks and Lagoons

Wollongong has a network of creeks and lagoons across the city. These waterways are an important part of our natural environment. They also help direct floodwaters towards the ocean. The point where a creek or lagoon meets the ocean is called an estuary.

Council directly looks after about 40 per cent of our area’s creeks. The rest are managed by private landowners or other government bodies.

We have Estuary Management Plans for some of the coastal creeks and lagoons that we care for.  We’re also working to make plans for more of our waterways in the future.

Our plans for managing estuaries are guided by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage.

We use our estuary management plans to guide our work to care for creeks and lagoons.

Some of the key things we do include:

Bush restoration

Plants play an important role in the health of our waterways. Our staff and volunteers remove weeds and rubbish, and add suitable plants at many creek and estuary sites. Visit our Bushcare page to find out more or join a group.

Bank stabilisation

We use plants and built structures to help keep the banks of creeks stable and prevent erosion. For example, we’ve installed a boat ramp and viewing platform at Towradgi Creek. This supports the bank and lets people enjoy the creek without damaging its edges.

Stormwater devices

We’ve added structures at key creek locations to help trap stormwater rubbish so it doesn’t wash into creeks and onto our beaches. These structures let us more easily remove rubbish and keep our creeks clear.