Sutherland Shire Environment Centre

16/10/2026

For anyone who cares about our water supply - the NSW government will be making the final decision on this mine extension in the next month or so. This is the same mine that discharged coal waste sludge into waterways that run through the Royal National Park. We cannot trust them with our water catchment.

WaterNSW has clearly stated that the only way to not damage the largest swamp S106 is to avoid coal mining underneath it. Other agency assessments have been even more damning. Research has found that over 45% of swamps at the Woronora Plateau are at risk of collapse if undermining there continues.

We need as many people to write and ask MPs what they are thinking.

Even a short email is enough, a sentence or two.

Paul Scully, Minister for Planning: [email protected]
Rose Jackson, Minister for Water: [email protected]
Maryanne Stuart, Member for Heathcote: [email protected]
David Moncrieff, Member for Hughes: [email protected]

16/10/2026

Well done you legends 👏💚

14/10/2026

10/10/2026

At 11.30am this coming Tuesday, former EO of the SSEC, Catherine Reynolds will be submitting the Save Our Swamps petition opposing the Peabody's use of biodiversity offsets to greenlight the destruction of Woronora Reservoir catchment swamps to the NSW state parliament.

If you'd like to turn up in support, there will also be a rally outside Parliament organised by Lock The Gate Alliance and the Sydney Knitting Nannas And Friends opposing coal expansions in NSW.

**Thank you** to everyone who has signed this. Over 1,700 people have now, including the Mayor Carmelo Pesce, our local ward councillor Kal Glanzig, as well as the CEO of the Nature Conservation Council Jacqui Mumford. Sutherland Liberal councillor Stephen Nikolovski signed it, and John Veage, Sutherland Shire Citizen of the Year 2025.

01/10/2026

Right now the drinking water supply for the Sutherland Shire, the Woronora Reservoir, is being undermined by a tax dodging American mining giant... And they want to go even deeper 👀

The company responsible, Peabody, has recently applied for a massive expansion which would see them continue mining all the way until 2044.

The amount of damage they have already caused should prompt the immediate cessation of all mining in the protected Woronora water catchment, and yet they are still allowed to continue.

Join us in our campaign to stop their expansion and protect our drinking water supply 💦

01/10/2026

We're very proud of local legend Shannon Kaiser, whose research has interrogated the impacts of Peabody's coal mine waste on the health of frogs in the Hacking River and their susceptibility to chytrid infection.

A study on the impact of chytrid fungus disease in Royal National Park frogs raises questions about regulation of coalmine wastewater.

Read more: https://ab.co/4Ay1hUi

05/06/2026

Happy World Environment Day, and what a lovely windy one it is here in the Shire.

Here's a moment to slow down, and appreciate the richness, and unique beauty of the nature which surrounds us here on Dharawal Country.

Why not share a moment of beauty from your neck of the woods in the comments below 💚

04/06/2026

Here's a wonderful upcoming event, free to all lovers of gardening 🪴🪏, shared to us by our friends at Georges Riverkeeper ☺️

Author Tanya Loos shares practical tips for living alongside wildlife in your home and garden.

24/05/2026

Climate Compensation Fund: Make Big Polluters Pay Their Share: Sign Petition

ShireCAN’s (with the support of SSEC) latest campaign.
The “Polluter Pays” principle is simple – if you make a mess, you should clean it up.

A national campaign and a growing movement. Communities like the Shire are already paying the price of climate change through higher insurance premiums and increasing weather event recovery bills. Meanwhile, big coal, oil and gas corporations are making billions exporting Australia’s resources, often while paying no tax and pocketing huge government subsidies.

Properties in the Shire are already considered at “high risk” of becoming unaffordable or impossible to insure, due to the risk of climate-related damage.

Suburbs at high risk:
Woronora: Properties at high risk: 518 / 54.93% properties at high risk
Sylvania Waters: Properties at high risk: 954 /74.13% properties at high risk
Kurnell: Properties at high risk: 107 /22.6% properties at high risk
Maianbar: Properties at high risk: 107 /34.29% properties at high risk
Bonnet Bay: Properties at high risk: 169 /20.17.9% properties at high risk
Taren Point: Properties at high risk: 461 /28.4% properties at high risk

Regions/communities are experiencing the impacts of climate – from floods and bushfires to heatwaves and coastal erosion. Local councils are on the frontline, responsible for roads, drainage, community facilities and emergency response – but right now the costs of disasters are rising faster than council revenue.

A Climate Compensation Fund could help pay for:
🚨Disaster response and preparedness
😌 Insurance relief for disaster-hit communities
🏠 Flood-proofed homes
🏛️ Upgraded community halls and evacuation centres
🌳 Shaded streets and cool public spaces
🚒 Well-resourced emergency services
✨ An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Climate Self Determination Fund
👷 Support for a just transition for workers and their families
➕ And much more…

What Can You Do?:
Sign the Petition on the Link below:
This petition will be delivered to Sutherland Shire Council who will be encouraged to support this initiative, as part of a successful Polluter Pays motion.
https://www.act.tippingpoint.org.au/petitions/make-big-polluters-pay-their-fair-share-sutherland-shire

24/05/2026

Very proud of our members, along with our friends at Oatley Flora and Fauna Conservation Society, spending their Saturday to attend the NCC Sydney Rivers Community Forum.

Together with Steph from the Gardens of Stone Alliance, we put forward the case to campaign on ending mining in our water catchments.

We are proud of the great progress we made in the workshop sessions and very inspired by all the fantastic presentations made on the day.

Thank you so much Nature NSW for putting on this fantastic forum.