Estuaries are important to us in many different ways. People use them every day in many different ways whether it be recreationally, for sport or simply to look at and enjoy their peace.

We are a group of children who attend Corrimal Public School. The suburb of Corrimal lies between the mountains and the sea in the Illawarra which makes this a special place to be. Our school lies in a coastal region and one of our favourite local beaches is Towradgi. Beside the beach lies Towradgi estuary which has long been valued as a source of recreation and enjoyment by those in the community.

What Is An Estuary?

An estuary is a place where the mouth of a river meets the sea. Here the freshwater from rivers, streams and groundwater flows to the ocean, mixing with the salty ocean water. They have the ability to manage sediment, treat waste matter and recycle nutrients.

Estuaries support many different ecosystems and are often known as bays, lagoons, harbours or inlets. One of our most celebrated waterways, Sydney Harbour, is also an estuary!

What Do Estuaries Do?

Estuaries are invaluable fertile places and we should protect them as they provide:

What Are Our Concerns?

Estuaries are fragile environments that are under pressure. The problems with estuaries occur in rivers, streams and catchments that are often a long way from the coast. Our group is concerned about the health and future of our local estuary called Towradgi. All the pollutants, urbanisation and other human impacts in the area over the last few decades we believe would have taken their toll on our local beach area. Why?

Finding Answers

Who Did We Go and See?

As part of our investigation we approached Wollongong City Council who currently have management plans in action to restore this fragile place. Our team met with two environmental officers from Council as well as a teacher from Shellharbour Field Studies Centre who helped us with our research. We became scientists and historians for a term.

We met local residents and heard their side of the story about the impact of change on this local estuary environment. We also met with the indigenous community and listened to their story about their traditional lifestyle and survival along the coast. Our group communicated with other local councils to find out what problems they had with their estuaries and what management plans they had in action to protect them.

What Did We Do At School?

At school we designed posters, distributed and collected surveys all related to water usage and the need to conserve water. We published our findings in newsletters and tried to get feedback from the community. We celebrated events like Clean Up Australia Day and World Environment Day to increase awareness about protecting these coastal treasures and to care for the local catchment.

This website is a journey for us all. It is a study of a local issue that is also a global problem. The theme for this year's World Environment Day, 2004 to be hosted in Barcelona is Wanted! Seas and Oceans - Dead or Alive?

Do we want our coastal areas clean and healthy for our future? Mr. Kelvin Thomson, the Shadow Minister for the Environment stated recently that our coasts are 'places that we are in danger of loving to death.'

This website serves to create awareness about the need to protect our coastal waterways. It serves to raise community interest and participation in caring about a local estuary called Towradgi.