Sutherland Shire Environment Centre

04/06/2026

Here's a free upcoming event 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.

18/05/2026

Bless the Nannas 💛

18/05/2026

18/05/2026

Join the movement to protect our drinking water 💧

On Saturday 16th May, the wonderful Illawarra Knitting Nannas Against Greed (IKNAG) organised a rally outside the office of Planning Minister Paul Scully MP to call for an end to all longwall mining in our water catchment's.

Speaking at the rally was local Yuin and Dharawal elder Uncle Mark Bloxsome, Anne Kelly from IKNAG, Cooper Riach from the Sutherland Shire Environment Centre, Wollongong Councillor Deidre Stuart, Gardens of Stone Alliance campaigner Steph Lentz, and Lock the Gate Alliance campaigner Nic Clyde.

The NSW Labor Government's “Coal Industry 2026-2050” policy leaves the door wide open for expansions of longwall coal mining underneath Sydney's drinking water catchments.

These drinking water catchments have already suffered irreversible damage from the subsidence caused by longwall mining, including the permanent destruction of Coastal Upland Swamp Threatened Ecological Communities (TECs) and significant loss of flow from creeks and rivulets into the catchments. In the case of the Centennial mine near Lithgow, they are allowed to discharge contaminated waste into the nearby catchment’s headlands.

It is insane that mining in our water catchments has been allowed to continue for so long, it would be unconscionable for our government to allow it to continue any further.

The proposed expansions of mining must be stopped.

We are growing this movement and there is much more to come, so here's what you can do now to help. All links in comments below 👇 🔗

- Sign the 4nature petition to reinstate real water protections to NSW legislation.
- Write to your local State MP to demand an end to all longwall mining in our water catchment's
- Stay up to date by joining the mailing list or by following our socials

14/05/2026

Snap Rally this Saturday, 16 May from 11:30 to 12:30 at 51 Crown St, Wollongong!

We'll be calling for an end to all mining under our water catchments.

Several of the mines in the Illawarra catchments, including Peabody's Metropolitan mine in Helensburgh, are currently seeking expansion.

These mines have already caused irreparable damage to our drinking water catchments. It is unacceptable that this has been allowed to go on for this long. It would be unconscionable for our government to allow them to expand even further.

Nothing is more valuable than the safety and security of our drinking water supply.

If you are outraged by this, then come along. If you can't make it then follow along as we grow this campaign. Get in contact if you'd like to join us in this fight.

Be prepared for changeable weather and bring an umbrella if needed.

28/04/2026

Tonight's meeting ended with a 8-6 vote in favour of an amended proposal. This amendment would instead allow for mooring pens in the W1 zone, as opposed to the original proposal which was to downgrade all W1 zones to W2.

This is a win in the sense that we have successfully removed all large developments from the proposal. However, mooring pens in W1 zones will still cause great damage to seagrass beds on our precious foreshores.

This isn't over yet, and there will be more opportunities for us to oppose this proposal and protect our waterways for good. Stay tuned, or reach out to get involved.

24/04/2026

The Sutherland Shire Council is proposing to officially name the reserve off Liffey Place in Woronora as Dulumunmun Dreaming Place, in honour of the late First Nations Elder Uncle Max Dulumunmun Harrison.

Uncle Max was a deeply connected, respected, and devoted member of our community. His life of education, mentorship, and advocacy leaves many gifts to us all, including the beautiful Sunset Cultural Ceremony at Burnum Burnum Reserve every year.

A man dedicated to the protection of Country, Uncle Max worked with all people and organisations, including the SSEC, to secure real conservation outcomes for our local environments.

To support this naming proposal in honour of Uncle Max's legacy, please fill out the survey below before the 28th April.

Acknowledgement of Country Sutherland Shire Council acknowledges the Dharawal people as the Traditional Custodians of the land within Sutherland Shire. We value and celebrate Dharawal culture and language, and acknowledge the Dharawal people’s continuing connection to

24/04/2026

On the 28th April, our councillors will decide whether to continue with the proposal to rezone large swathes our foreshores to allow for the development of boat mooring pens, marinas, charter and tourism boating facilities, and kiosks.

This level of development would fundamentally change the character of our waterways and destroy many of the ecosystems vital for the health of the whole waterway. This is unacceptable and cannot be allowed to go ahead.

Please lobby your local councillors before the 28th April, demanding that they end their pursuit of Planning Proposal PLN008-26 now. And if you can, come along to the Council meeting on the 28th April to show your opposition. Every effort helps.

For more information, visit our website: https://www.ssec.org.au/our-campaigns/waterways-rezoning-proposal/