This year’s Waterways and Catchment Report Card has been released with MidCoast Council applauding the efforts of community partners and agencies involved in looking after waterways.

The report card presents results from 14 locations across the region stretching from the Manning River estuary in the north and south to the Karuah estuary.

Announcing the results at a free community breakfast in Bulahdelah on Saturday, November 10 Dr Peter Scanes from the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH): "Almost all sites on the MidCoast maintained or improved their grade this year, with two sites improving on last year’s result, and three dropping a grade".

Dr Scanes leads an independent team of scientists who assess the health of the waterways each year.

The report card helps council compare the current conditions with the condition it aspires to.

The sites are graded from A-F and compared to other locations across NSW.

In the Great Lakes, mid-Wallamba estuary (B) and Wallis Lake (A) improved their grade this year, however sites at Khappinghat (B), Coolongolook (C) and Myall Lake (B) dropped a grade

But, although scientists say this was to be expected due to natural variability within the environment.

“Small changes in condition are to be expected in natural systems, increased or decreased rainfall over the sampling period can impact on the grade, particularly when the scores are close to the boundaries between two grades,” Dr Scanes said.

Remaining sites across the Mid Coast LGA have maintained their grades from 2017, including the Manning catchment.

"The waterways are a critical part of the Mid Coast region underpinning the local economy and highly valued by our community,” MidCoast Council mayor David West said.

“This holistic approach to monitoring, and working towards, improved waterway and catchment health is an essential part of our work.

It is a credit to the communities within our region that we've been able partner together to achieve great outcomes for our waterways." 

This year, to involve and celebrate the waterways report card results with the community, council is hosting a series of free “Explore with an Expert” events over the next few weeks.

They include free wetland walks, a tour of a constructed urban wetland in Forster, and evening talk on Forster’s squirrel glider population and hands on clean-up at Browns Creek Taree. 

"It’s a great opportunity for the community to see for themselves some of the work that's being done to improve waterway health," Cr West said.

"These projects in our wetlands and urban areas are great examples of the innovative partnerships between council, State and Federal government as well as private business and landholders, and are made possible by the Environmental Special Rate."

The full report card is available to view at www.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/reportcard.