Hawkesbury-Nepean Waterkeeper Alliance

Hawkesbury-Nepean Regional Annual Forums: Building a community voice for our region

The HNWA hosted its first (virtual) forum, bringing together community participants, academics, and local and state government representatives in September 2020 to elevate concerned conversations about the Hawkesbury-Nepean River system and revitalise a local Waterkeepers Alliance. The forum, held on 25^th September 2020, was attended by over 55 stakeholders and individuals from 23 industry bodies and seven community groups. Sharing their knowledge were Yara River Waterkeeper Andrew Kelly, CHEN coordinator and community advocate Sue Martin, and Western Sydney University’s Dr Ian Wright. Discussion groups were supported by University science student volunteers.

The forum participants expressed a desire for a healthy, liveable, swimmable, fishable Hawkesbury-Nepean River. As a result of this forum, the HNWA has been following this as our approach to work. Our community wanted us to:

• Seek funding opportunities.
• Explore and identify a governance model that is fit for purpose.
• Speak to stakeholders (local councils, Sydney Water, community groups, First Nations people) to strengthen relationships and build partnerships.
• Participate in the Australian chapter of the International Waterkeeper Alliance.

We have produced a Hawkesbury-Nepean Waterkeeper Forum Summary Report (PDF, 2695.46 KB) (opens in a new window) which outlines next steps and details our community's feedback.

Our second (virtual) forum held in May 2022 was attended by 44 attendees from 39 different organisations and local community groups. Sharing their knowledge was Paul Bennett, Manager Land Services at Greater Sydney Local Land Services, on the impacts of flooding on riparian zones along the Hawkesbury. The Alliance also officially introduced their new Waterkeeper, Dr Michelle Ryan (School of Science, WSU) and formally launched their Hawkesbury-Nepean River Report Card. The report card takes a different approach to water monitoring, and combines scientific, social, and cultural data collected by both scientists and citizen scientists.

Our third forum, A Slow Weave: River Talks,  was held in November 2022 as an interactive online session to understand more about this growing movement and to start exploring what this might mean for the Hawkesbury-Nepean River system. Led by the Australian Earth Laws Alliance, the workshop showcased examples from the global movement to recognize the rights of rivers and explore how new ways of recognizing and protecting our rivers might be achieved in Australia, by honouring First Nations’ Peoples’ laws and cultural practices, and weaving new ways forward for governance in Australia.

Our fourth forum held in November 2023, Empowering Community Knowledge and Connection through Citizen Science, focused on community knowledge and connection through citizen science to focus collective thinking on how we continue to engage the community and promote caring for the improved health of our waterways as a shared responsibility. Held in-person at the LLS Demonstration Farm and funded by Streamwatch (Greater Sydney Landcare) and Western Sydney University, a diverse range of community members, high school students and professionals taking part. A total of 48 participants from 19 regional organisations were in attendance. Uncle Chris Tobin, Dharug Elder, provides an impactful Welcome to Country followed by an inspiring keynote presentation from Uncle David King, Gundungurra Traditional Elder, sharing a personal story about the 'Power of our Senses' and how we all have a role to play in Caring for Country by engaging with citizen science and spending time in our local places. This was followed by a panel of leading local citizen science champions from across Greater Sydney and Lithgow discussing the work they are doing and the importance of community engagement to make a difference and create real change. The HNWA also formally launched our Friends of the Waterkeeper Alliance (FWA) network (opens in a new window) during the event.

Our latest forum “Revitalising Our Waterways: Urbanisation and Its Impact on Habitat in the Hawkesbury-Nepean and Beyond” was hosted on the river in November 2024 with over 70 guests from 40 different organisations.  As part of the proceedings, we officially launched our Resilient Rivers for Resilient Hawkesbury Platypus Population Project. The event featured a closed 'Friends of the Waterkeeper Alliance' meeting, insightful discussions on Sydney's waterways with our local custodians, Riverkeepers and Waterkeeper, and hands-on workshops on the Land for Wildlife approach and eDNA for Biodiversity Monitoring.

Microplastics Community Training Days

Western Sydney University researchers and students, in collaboration with Streamwatch and Greater Sydney Landcare, joined community volunteers as part of a hands-on workshop (opens in a new window) to assess the number of microplastics present in the Hawkesbury-Nepean River. Our first community day event saw the group come together on World Environment Day, 5 June 2021, at Windsor Beach – a popular recreational area in the Hawkesbury region that was impacted by significant flooding. The data was used in our first River Report Card. As part, Western trained four student facilitators to help run the workshop along side our Technical Support and Research Services staff. “It was a great experience to be back in the field and the lab and to help guide members of the community through sampling.  It also was lovely to connect with other students on the day that were helping out who were passionate about conserving the waterway." Catherine, Western Sydney University science student.

This initiative has continued, with professional training and capacity-building days in June 2022 (with key regional stakeholders and organisations), February 2023 (with school teachers and environmental educators) and May 2024 (with Hong Kong Baptist University students) which included a river clean-up, canoe excursion, floating lectures and microplastics field and ID day. Annual counts are also verified and embedded in our undergraduate science curriculum, who undertake counts each Spring semester.

Rapid Riparian Health Training Day

Streamwatch and Greater Sydney Landcare led community volunteers as part of a hands-on workshop to assess the riparian health to upskill citizen scientists in the latest riparian assessment tool. Our community day was held in December 2021 at Yarramundi (Nauva Reserve) – another popular recreational area in the Hawkesbury region that was recently impacted by significant flooding. Volunteers used the Rapid Appraisal of Riparian Condition (RARC) for the southern tablelands of New South Wales as part of the training. The data was used in our first River Report Card.

Macroinverterbrates Training Days

Streamwatch and Greater Sydney Landcare, in collaboration with Cattai Hills Environment Network, join citizen scientists – local residents and Landcare volunteers for a waterbug (macroinverterbrates) workshop in May 2022. Volunteers were provided hands-on training on how to use and understand the ‘Stream Pollution Index’ (SPI) to monitor the water quality at Cattai Creek using apps. Through hands-on training, citizen scientists learnt how to identify and score waterbugs (macroinvertebrates) using the Waterbug mobile app, and were also trained in uploading their data to the BioCollect mobile app for sharing and storage. They found 40 water bugs from 9 different species and calculated a SPI score of 3.74 (out of 5) which is rated as “In Good Condition”.

“I learnt so much. I had no idea that waterbugs could be used as an index. I think and look at creeks in a different way, full of life. It was fun and informative.” –  Workshop attendee

This workshop was repeated in May 2024 with a delegation from Hong Kong Baptist University at Yarramundi, learning about the importance of river health, water quality and identifying macroinvertebrates with Streamwatch.

Hawkesbury-Nepean Regional Forum: Community report card

The Hawkesbury-Nepean Waterkeeper hosted our second virtual forum, bringing together community participants, academics, and local and state government representatives. The forum, held in May 2022, was attended by 44 attendees from 39 different organisations and local community groups. Sharing their knowledge was Paul Bennett, Manager Land Services at Greater Sydney Local Land Services, on the impacts of flooding on riparian zones along the Hawkesbury. The Alliance also officially introduced their new Waterkeeper, Dr Michelle Ryan (School of Science, WSU) and formally launched their Hawkesbury-Nepean River Report Card. The report card takes a different approach to water monitoring, and combines scientific, social, and cultural data collected by both scientists and citizen scientists.

We are currently planning the next River Health Report Card which is aiming to be released in mid-2025.

Yellomundee Cultural Walk and Talk

Our Alliance hosted on Dharug Ngurra, in partnership with Local Land Services, a Yellomundee cultural walk and talk with Uncle Lex Dadd and Chris Tobin (local Dharug educators) and 25 invitees including local river advocates, local council and agencies and Western academic staff and student in May 2022. The aim of this event was to learn what it is to care for Country and be connected culturally to our waterways. The activities including a smoking ceremony, a hand print ‘sign in’ to Country and a discussion of water values then and now. It is the intent that from the Waterkeeper Alliance will continue to work with a small group of river champions on an Indigenous voice for the River.

Platypus Community Engagement and Research

Cattai Hills Environment Network has been a strong advocate for platypus in their local waterways, championing this since 2016. Teaming up with Western Sydney University research, lead Dr Michelle Ryan the Hawkesbury-Nepean Waterkeeper and her HDR students, the scientific researched has focused on platypus Environmental DNA (eDNA) and trapping sampling, habitat assessment and restoration, student research, and community and school-based education programs. Starting in Cattai, the research has expanded to cover Western Sydney, particularly in urbanised creeks. Most recently a platypus 'Bluey' been tagged and released back into Cattai Creek by the team, researching the health of the platypus population in the Hawkesbury-Nepean River Catchment (opens in a new window).

Supporting this, the community came together to learn how they can help look after our waterways to care for platypus in August 2022. After expert talks from Dr Michelle Ryan, Western Sydney University and the HNWA Waterkeeper, and Melissa, a bush regenerator from Ecotune, the community volunteers planted more than 800 native grass seedlings along Cattai Creek (the riparian zone). Grass species included Lomandra longifolia, Dianella caerulea, Gahnia sieberiana, Commelina cyanea.

This project received grant funding from WIRES through their annual National Grant Program. For more information go to WIRES website (opens in a new window).

To continue this work, the University (through a collaborative partnership with the HNWA) has been awarded $1,000,000 of Urban Rivers and Catchment funding to deliver on ground riparian restoration work to improve habitat and in-stream connectivity for our urban platypus populations. This project, Resilient Rivers for Resilient Hawkesbury Platypus (opens in a new window), will be delivered from 2024 - 2027.

Rights of Nature Community Forum

Earth centred governance and the Rights of Nature is a growing global movement that recognizes the living world – rivers, forests and entire ecosystems - as legal beings. Current western law treats nature as an object, as human property. A deeper understanding of the connection between the health of the living world and the health of human communities has led to innovative legal changes across the world. HNWA hosted A Slow Weave: River Talks in November 2022 as an interactive online session to understand more about this growing movement and to start exploring what this might mean for the Hawkesbury-Nepean River system. Led by the Australian Earth Laws Alliance, the workshop showcased examples from the global movement to recognize the rights of rivers and explore how new ways of recognizing and protecting our rivers might be achieved in Australia, by honouring First Nations’ Peoples’ laws and cultural practices, and weaving new ways forward for governance in Australia. The HNWA continues to explore this concept with our First Nations communities and the Australian Earth Laws Alliance.

In October 2023, Western Sydney University and Minority Rights Group (MRG) International hosted the Water Justice in Australia and the Pacific Symposium. The event marked the Australian launch of the Minority and Indigenous Trends 2023: Focus on Water report developed by MRG, which discusses water justice as human rights, and features global case studies and contributions from Indigenous knowledge keepers, activists and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Water. Special presentations were delivered by Nyikina Warrwa Elder Professor Anne Poelina, Chair of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council, and Mr Sandy Sur, water music practitioner from Vanuatu and director of Leweton Cultural Experience, discussing their contributions to the report in relation to water in Australia and the Pacific. The event included a Darug Yarning with Western’s Elder on Campus Uncle Chris Tobin, Brad Moore and Jacinta Tobin; a Yarning with Dharawal Traditional Descendants and Knowledge Holders Circle, with Uncle Gavin Andrews, Aunty Fran Bodkin, Professor Gawaian Bodkin-Andrews, Uncle John Foster and Sharon Foster; and an open conversation about First Nations water justice and rights globally. This event was co-funded by the Institute of Culture and Society, Sustainability Education and Partnerships and the Research Theme Program.

In collaboration with First Nations educators and leaders (from Dhuarg community and the Lickanantay group from Chile), we gathered on Country in April 2024 for a cultural exchange. The day on Winnamatta (South Creek) featured bilingual floating lectures, a smoking ceremony, storytelling and sharing, and ways to continue to work and move forward together. The event brought together different forms of knowledge - traditional knowledge with scientific and social academic research - to confront pressing anthropological and social justice issues faced by our waterways.

Hawkesbury-Nepean BioBlitz 2024

The HNWA hosted a BioBlitz during the month of September 2024 to coincide with the Great Southern BioBlitz 2024. Community members were invited to share photos of local wildlife and plants using the iNaturalist app to help update the River Health Report Card! This year's HNWA BioBlitz recorded 320 community observations, triple the data we collected during our 2022 collection. Aquatic birds, woodland birds and insects topped the list for most observed, demonstrating the vibrant life that lives in and around our waterways. A collection of the most unique biodiversity captured is featured on our HNWA Facebook page (opens in a new window).

River Snap: Capture, Connect, Conserve

River Snap (opens in a new window) is a citizen science project dedicated to promoting awareness and advocating for a healthy freshwater ecosystem. Through the establishment of River Snap installations along key sites of the Hawkesbury-Nepean River and its tributaries, we provide a platform for individuals to actively participate in protecting their local environment. By gathering community observations, particularly in response to consecutive flooding events, we monitor changes in the Hawkesbury-Nepean River system. The valuable data collected by citizen scientists will be used to generate insights, identify trends, and address potential issues affecting the river's health.

Funded by the University’s Strategic Initiative Fund in 2022, our first installation was piloted at Howe Park, Windsor, in partnership with Hawkesbury City Council. Through this initiative, more than 200 community members have submitted their observations using their smartphones since May 2023. Their data has shown quicker than anticipated recovery along the riparian zone post-flooding, growth of new riparian plants as part of community re-vegetation efforts, and the active use of the river for recreation by the community including boating and picnicking. You can view our River Snaps by following the HNWA Facebook  (opens in a new window) page, or downloading our interim evaluation River Snap pilot report (PDF, 1410.44 KB).

Our sites have expanded to include the Nepean River in partnership with Camden Council. Located along the Camden Bike Track (north of Belgenny Reserve) in Camden, the community can now submit their River Snap photos to help us keep an eye on the health of the river further upstream.

This project was inspired by Coastal Snap (opens in a new window) which monitors beaches in key parts of Sydney and beyond.