LT Creek

It is always an honour to stand in this House and draw attention to issues which concern one's electorate. Today that honour is marred by disappointment and frustration as I highlight, yet again, an issue I have spoken about twice in this place before and which has been subject to numerous written requests to successive Ministers. So, for the third time, I raise the ongoing need to remediate LT Creek. LT Creek is a short but locally important waterway that flows into Lake Macquarie via Fennell Bay. Due to historic mining operations at Newstan Colliery, the LT Creek catchment suffers from high levels of suspended sediment in its upper tidal reaches. That causes poor aquatic health and impacts the lake further downstream. What does that look like? It looks like black sand and sludge being stirred up as one wades through the waters, leaving a dark trail behind. The flow picks up sediment the colour of tar from the creek bed, leaving little question as to why the marine nursery that once thrived there has so declined: the remobilisation and transport of sediment every time there is heavy rain and flooding.

The proposed solution is a one-off dredging operation to remove materials for offsite treatment and disposal. That work would significantly improve the local environment and recreation amenity. Lake Macquarie City Council is ready and willing to go with a proposed dredging and remediation plan, with costings having been prepared some years ago and regularly dusted off and updated. I first raised the need to remediate LT Creek in 2015. I spoke about it again in 2019 and was hopeful that revisiting the issue would encourage productive conversations and lead to action. While I raised the issue in this House, I have also met with Ministers and brought local advocacy for the creek to this place to appeal directly to the Government via the Minister. Unfortunately, six years on, we are still waiting. In that time, the estimated cost of remediation has increased substantially. The cost of dredging was valued in 2018 at around $1.6 million and is now over $3 million.

As I have told the Premier and the Minister for Regional New South Wales, I believe the State Government has a responsibility to remediate LT Creek. The State owned and operated Newstan Colliery for 125 years, which was the majority of its operating life. In that time, the State did not protect the local environment from destruction. While significant improvements were made in more recent times to reduce run-off from the site, it has not reversed the degradation caused by legacy mining operations. This Government now has an opportunity to exercise responsible stewardship of these historic operations and promote environmental sustainability by funding remediation of the creek. The sad reality is that, for years, no-one—besides locals—has cared about LT Creek. There are many to thank for their tireless efforts to call for change and clean up the creek, and I must call out John Paul Young for his commitment to this so far thankless cause.

The remediation of the important estuary system that is Lake Macquarie is an achievement locals can be proud of. My involvement in that process while I was a councillor and Mayor of Lake Macquarie is certainly one of my proudest achievements. However, the job is ongoing, and we must be vigilant to ensure our natural environment is protected even while more development, industry and growth is pursued. The rehabilitation of LT Creek is one part of that, and it is a part I am determined to continue to pursue during my time in this place. I ask the New South Wales Government to do the right thing by the people and the local environment of Lake Macquarie and fund Lake Macquarie City Council to do that work it has made numerous requests for. Please, after all these years and requests, let's clean up LT Creek.