A 12-month pesticide water quality monitoring project is underway on the Mid North Coast to better understand the presence of pesticides in the region’s waterways.
Led by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), the project builds on previous monitoring work and will provide a clearer picture of pesticide detections in waterways in the Coffs Harbour and Nambucca Valley local government areas over time.
Water samples will be collected from 10 priority monitoring sites in the Coffs Harbour LGA and 10 priority sites in the Nambucca Valley LGA on a quarterly basis, with testing and analysis to focus on detections of 150 different pesticides, along with 31 metals.
Samples will also be taken at an additional 13 monitoring sites (including 11 in Coffs Harbour and two in Nambucca Valley) on an annual basis.
NSW EPA Acting Director Operations John Forcier said high-quality data collected through the project will be used to inform targeted EPA pesticide compliance efforts and deliver insights into the potential risks associated with pesticide use on local waterways in key horticultural catchments.
“Coffs Harbour and the Nambucca Valley are priority areas for the EPA’s pesticide compliance work,” Mr Forcier said.
“Pesticide detections in Coffs Harbour catchments such as Hearnes Lake, coupled with the rapid expansion of intensive horticulture in the Nambucca Valley, have underscored the need to build on existing water quality data from the region.
“This project will generate critical insights to help strengthen our regulatory approach – ensuring our compliance efforts are fit for purpose and precisely targeted to better prevent pesticides from entering local waterways.
“It will also complement data gathered through the Coastal Management Programs run by both councils, which monitor nutrients and core physio-chemical indicators across coastal catchments in the Coffs and Nambucca areas.
“By bringing these datasets together, we’ll gain a more comprehensive understanding of overall water quality and catchment health – essential knowledge to support ongoing and future waterway management efforts.”
Results from the project will be published on the EPA’s website each quarter and will be shared with key stakeholders, including relevant interagency working groups.
As the state’s key environmental regulator, the EPA is focused on ensuring registered pesticides are used in accordance with regulations to minimise any potential impacts on the environment.
More information about the EPA’s pesticide compliance work on the Mid North Coast, including results from the project’s first two sampling rounds in both Coffs and Nambucca, can be found here: Mid North Coast pesticides monitoring and compliance | EPA
Contact details:
EPA MEDIA | TESS GIBNEY | 0456 053 522
24-hour Media Line (02) 9995 6415 [email protected]