Greendale Creek gross pollutant trap

The Rubbish trap or 'gross pollutant trap' near Harbord road in Curl Curl is very good at trapping large bits of floating rubbish when there is a medium flow however in a heavy rain event everything just washes straight over the top and into Curl Curl Lagoon.

We asked the Northern Beaches Council how often the trap in the creek was cleaned cleaned every three months.

Our Creeks are being used as stormwater drains and sewers instead of wildlife sanctuaries

Other Solutions for Pollutant Traps

Cannonvale, Queensland, Australia

Anacostia, DC, USA

Bandalong Litter Trap made in Victoria, Australia

https://www.bandalong.com.au/bandalong-litter-trap.html

Anacostia, DC, USA

Nash run trap

South Australia Government, Guide on Gross Pollutant Traps

https://www.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/16428/WSUD_chapter_9.pdf

West Australia Government

https://www.water.wa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/4775/84993.pdf

Floating Traps

http://www.aquatic.net.au/products/rubbish-traps/Floating-traps.htm

https://concreteplayground.com/melbourne/design-style/sustainability/these-floating-planters-help-trap-and-remove-rubbish-from-melbournes-yarra-river

Sea Bin

https://seabinproject.com/

More info

United States Environmental Protection Agency

https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/trash-free-waters/clean-water-act-and-trash-free-waters_.html#capture

Debris boom

http://oceancrusaders.org/clean/debrisbooms/

Ben Penhallurick

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/gross-pollutant-traps-what-flippin-heck-ben-penhallurick/

Temple University Study

https://sites.temple.edu/trash/files/2014/03/Trash-Solutions.pdf

Life-cycle cost analysis and effectiveness comparison between catch basin inlet screens and a floating trash trap for municipal solid removal from stormwater C. C. Glass & E. Holloway Department of Civil Engineering, Howard University, Washington DC, USA

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/911b/2c3576bff239e36bd835f8ebe9cd84018363.pdf

Letter received in July 2019 regarding Greendale Creek from

Victoria Adair

Acting Senior Environment Officer - Coast

Northern Beaches Council

Greendale and Brookvale Creeks

Thank you for your email dated 28 June 2019 in relation to the above. There is broad information on Council’s website on creek management at:

https://www.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/environment/coast-and-waterways/creeks

For further information about Council’s environmental initiatives and programs please go to https://www.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/environment.

Please see comments and answers to your questions below:

I would like to know if there is a plan for Greendale Creek and Brookvale Creek

Greendale Creek

• Council recently constructed a new culvert outlet and energy dissipation area in Greendale Creek in the Brookvale industrial area (near the Brookvale Curl Curl Scout Hall).

• The gross pollutant trap (GPT) downstream of Harbord Road is stopping a large fraction of gross pollutant to be deposited in the downstream section of Greendale creek and ultimately in the lagoon.

• Council will investigate future projects on the effect of flow and aquatic ecology, subject to resources.

• Northern Beaches Council recently received an Environmental Trust Grant for $100k over 3 years for restoration work at Greendale Creek along the northern edge of Curl Curl Lagoon. The project has the support of Local MP James Griffin and the Curl Curl Lagoon Friends community group and involves removing weeds, exotic trees and vines and replacing them with suitable riparian native species. The project has been staged and the weeds removed so far include 20 Coral Trees, 4 Phoenix Palms, Lantana, Green Cestrum and scrambling vines.

• Council also undertakes a number of other initiatives including; water quality testing in the lagoon, Bush care at the nearby Alan Newton Reserve, a bird census of the area and ongoing bush regeneration around the riparian edge of the lagoon.

Brookvale Creek

• Brookvale Creek is a tributary to Manly Creek with a large catchment extending out to Warringah Road and Allambie Road. Council is investigating ways of reducing nutrient input in Allambie Park and this may include the installation of mini wetlands and rain gardens on some of the stormwater catchments prior to the discharge in Allambie Park.

• The sections of the creek in the industrial area are managed and maintained in the open sections, noting that the creek is piped under Warringah Mall Carpark to Condamine Street. The GPT installed downstream of the piped section is capturing gross pollutants and some sediment.

• Council is remediating some stormwater inlets soon to prevent any further bank erosion. The creek bed and banks are mostly stable (part of the creek natural cycle) with some minor erosion. The high flow section of the creek is lined with sandstone boulders, reducing the risk of the creek deepening.

• Council continues to maintain the riparian corridor with plantings.

Also please let me know how regularly the rubbish trap at Harbord road for Greendale Creek is emptied.

The Harbord Road gross pollutant trap (GPT) is cleaned every three months.

I trust this information addresses your concerns, however if you require additional enquiries about this matter, please contact customer service on 1300 434 434 during business hours.

Thank you for your interest in the environment.

Yours faithfully

#Cleanup #JohnFisherPark #GreendaleCreek #NorthernBeaches #grosspollutanttrap #Brookvalecreek #ManlyCreek