Environmental Education Strategy - Campbelltown City Council ...

Environmental Education Strategy 2009 - 2012SoESectionKey topic under NSWEnvironmentalEducation PlanSustainable housingand transportLocal issueWaterSensitiveUrban Design(Sourcedproducts canhave adecreasedimpact on theenvironmentas well aspossiblyproviding ahealthierproduct.)EnergyEfficiencyOutline of issueFollowing urban development, one of the significant areas where urban land can havean effect on natural systems is the modifications to the natural drainage and run offprocesses. These changes have a direct effect on the waterway systems which receivestormwater run off from urban areas. This occurs as the quantity of water from urbanareas is much higher dure to the increased in impervious surfaces, so more surface runoff occurs. Additionally the quality is often reduced due to the polluted nature of urbanenvironments. However, if more residents undertook Water Sensitive Urban Designprincipals and introduced them into their properties, these negative impacts could beoffset.One of the key issues facing our society is that of climate change caused by an increaseof GHG in the atmosphere, and the impacts that this will have on our environment. Oneof the key contributing factors to climate change is the emissions produced from energyproduction. By encouraging residents to use energy more efficiently, we can assist themto save money and to look after the environment at the same time.OurWaterTotal Water CycleManagementRiver HealthThe Georges River and the Nepean River are two significant rivers that are found withinthe Campbelltown LGA. All of the waterways within Campbelltown flow into one of thesetwo river systems. Not only do these systems support aquatic and riparian ecosystems,but the water quality in these rivers can serve as a good indicator for gauging theenvironmental health of the area, and identifying areas where this could be improved.StormwaterPollutionOne of the major threats to the health and well being of the waterways in theCampbelltown area is pollution contained within stormwater. By reducing this pollutionload, we can decrease the impact of stormwater on its receiving waters, such as theNepean River and Georges River.. Polluted stormwater also promotes weed growththrough carrying high levels of nutrients. This weed growth occurs particularly in parksand reserves which receive stormwater.Version 2.03 18/3/10Page 39 of 48