Seaham Weir Pool Erosion Management Plan

The results of long-term water quality monitoring in the Seaham Weir Pool show a gradual and continuing deterioration in water quality, which can be attributed to ongoing bank erosion, among other causes.

A 2015 study conducted by University of NSW’s Water Research Laboratory (WRL) stated the leading causes of bank erosion in the weir pool are a combination of historical and current land practices, flood events, and wake-generating boating activities.

The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) states that the most effective and efficient way of assuring drinking water quality and the protection of public health is through the adoption of a preventive management approach that encompasses all steps in the water supply chain, from catchment to consumers. Effective management of our drinking water supplies requires governments, water utilities, land management agencies, landholders and other custodians to work together to put in place a range of measures across multiple barriers.

Catchment management and the protection of source water is the first barrier for the protection of water quality. Effectively managing erosion within Seaham Weir Pool will improve the protection of this important drinking water source in line with relevant public health requirements, including the ADWG, which advocates that source waters should be protected to the maximum degree practicable. Compliance with the ADWG is a requirement of Hunter Water’s Operating Licence.

Remediation work will repair and stabilise eroding banks to improve the long-term resilience of the weir pool for the benefit and enjoyment of all users.

Read more about erosion and water quality in our fact sheet.

We adopt a precautionary approach to harvesting water from the Williams River for treatment and supply to customers and the community. This includes not using water from a particular source if water quality does not meet specified criteria.

The measures we have in place to ensure the safety of drinking is never compromised include:

• robust multi-barrier water treatment processes
• routine water quality monitoring
• the ability to switch between different water sources
• continuous system monitoring, and
• regular liaison with NSW Health on water quality.

Transport for NSW’s existing boating management plan for the weir pool will be retained. This plan permits certain high wake-generating boating activities within designated zones of the weir pool and aims to help prevent riverbank erosion.

By retaining this plan, two important factors are addressed:

• the social and economic benefits boating brings to the local area, particularly Clarence Town
• the potential transfer of the erosion problem to other local waterways if a ban on wake-generating boating activities in the Seaham Weir Pool was introduced.

Some additional temporary boating restrictions are expected to be required during bank remediation works, causing short-term inconvenience to some river users. Any temporary restrictions will be communicated to local residents and weir pool users in advance where possible.

In 2016 community feedback was invited on the University of NSW’s Water Research Laboratory’s 2015 report Riverbank Vulnerability Assessment using a Decision Support System: Seaham Weir Pool and Lower Williams River (the WRL report).

A total of 119 submissions were received from a range of stakeholders, including recreational boaters, landowners along the affected river stretches, local residents and owners of businesses dependent on use of the river for recreation.

The feedback received informed the revised draft Erosion Management Plan which was on public exhibition from Tuesday 25 October to Tuesday 22 November 2022. During this time, a total of 45 meetings and discussions were held with potentially directly affected landowners in the project area and 23 formal submissions were received.

The feedback received during the public exhibition period has been collated in a Community and Stakeholder Engagement Outcomes Report.

After consideration of the feedback received during the public exhibition period, the Seaham Weir Pool Erosion Management Plan has been finalised. The final plan and engagement outcomes report can be viewed on our website.

The on-ground work will take place in stages, with the first stage expected to start in late 2023.

With the peak skiing season from September through to March, it is anticipated work will commence outside the skiing and wake boarding zones from late 2023 until March 2024.

Landholders may experience construction impacts such as noise, dust and the presence of heavy machinery or barges during remediation work. In some cases, access to the river will be limited during construction and we will work closely with landholders to manage this impact where possible.

Some work will be carried out from barges on the river, while other work can be completed from banks through temporary access as agreed with landowners.