| WaterPlan 2050 - Mardi-Mangrove Link |
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The Mardi-Mangrove Link Project is a key element of WaterPlan 2050 which is the long term water supply st The Project is an initiative of Gosford City and Wyong Shire Councils with Australian Government funding of $80.3 million from the Water Smart Australia Program. It is the largest water infrastructure project undertaken on the Central Coast since the mid-1980s when Mangrove Creek Dam was built. It involves building:
The Central Coast community will benefit from the Mardi-Mangrove Link as it will help to boost dam storage levels, speed up drought recovery and help protect the region against future extended periods of below average rainfall. Click on the links below to find out more about the Mardi-Mangrove Link Project.
Educational resourcesA series of fact sheets have been prepared for community and educational use to provide more detailed information on key issues affecting the Mardi-Mangrove Link project. See more here. For more information contact the Mardi-Mangrove Link Project Office in Anzac Avenue, Wyong, on (02) 4350 1682 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Industry informationFor construction industry information on the Mardi-Mangrove Link Project on the NSW Central Coast click here. What progress has been made so far?A Mardi-Mangrove Link Project Team has been established to deliver the Mardi-Mangrove Link Project. Since mid-2007 the focus has been on identifying a route for the pipelines and preparing concept and detailed designs. This has involved extensive liaison with local landholders as well as comprehensive engineering, geotechnical and environmental investigations. A route corridor has now been identified for the whole length of the pipeline route as it runs through Mardi and Yarramalong Valley. Part of the route lies within the Yarramalong Road reserve while the majority runs through private land. Concept designs are also complete for all elements of the Project. Detailed designs are also complete. A Review of Envrionmental Factors (REF) document has also been approved for the Project as part of the overall statutory approvals process. Tenders have also been invited from construction companies to build the Project.Route selection processSelecting the pipeline route through Mardi and Yarramalong Valley was a major element of the Mardi-Mangrove Link Project . Where possible, the route selection process considered the following factors
An expert panel then used a multi-criteria analysis to assess five key criteria including:
Each criteria was scored based on its impact (0 = no impact, 5 = high impact) and then each score was validated with a sensitivity analysis overall robustness. The lowest score determined the recommended route for each sector of the pipeline. The pipeline route was subject to stringent reviews from an engineering, construction, design, environmental, geological and cost perspective. The route has now been locked in following approvals by both Gosford City and Wyong Shire Councils. The Project Team has also worked with affected landholders to complete detailed engineering, environmental and geotechnical studies to confirm, mark and survey the exact alignment of the water pipeline. These studies have helped the Project Team to confirm issues such as:
Each affected landholder has been able to walk the proposed route on their property to raise questions or point out features that might affect the alignment of the pipeline. Protecting the Yarramalong Valley environment
The pipeline route has been selected to avoid sensitive ecological areas and to avoid significant impact on threatened species and endangered ecological communities. Senior ecologists were also involved in the entire route marking process. A number of safeguards and mitigation measures will also be implemented during construction of the pipeline and associated works. These include:
Detailed Project investigations have also identifited that the pipeline route corridor will not have a significant impact on local aquatic ecology. No fish passages will be blocked. When areas in the Valley are disturbed during construction of the Mardi-Mangrove Link Project, revegetation will occur as quickly as possible to further minimise the overall impacts. An Indigenous heritage study was also undertaken to check if any important cultural items exist in areas where the pipeline will be built. If any are found during construction they will be managed in accordance with relevant State Government requirements and the Aboriginal community. Landholder liaisonExtensive landholder liaison has been undertaken by the Project Team, particularly with those who are directly affected by the pipeline route corridor. Individual landholder input was a key part of the route selection process and ongoing liaison is occuring with many affected landholders. Community meetings, Open House events, one-on-one discussions, telephone and email discussions, and written correspondence have all formed part of that liaison process.
The Project Team has provided affected landholders with comprehensive Landholder and Easement Packs which include a range of fact sheets and other information about the Project. The Packs help to explain land entry protocols, the easement acquistiion process, insurance and liabilties, compensation payments, construction issues and other related matters. The Project Team will continue to liaise with affected landholders as the project progresses. Gosford City and Wyong Shire Councils have a statutory right under the Water Management Act to access properties affected by the Project. Their preference, however, is to gain landholders' consent before accessing their land. Easements for the pipeline routeA pipeline easement will be registered on each affected land title for Wyong Shire Council to construct, operate and maintain a buried water pipeline on that piece of land (except for where some above ground facilities may be required, such as valves and pipe-bridges). Affected landholders will receive compensation for the pipeline easement under the NSW Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991. An accredited valuer engaged by Wyong Shire Council has visited each affected property to value and assess the compensation payable in accordance with the Act.
Subject to obtaining prior consent from Council, landholders can still:
Landholders will continue to have access over the easement and can use the land for cultivation, cropping and grazing of livestock. They can also grow pasture, farm turf, control and eradicate weeds and top dress and pasture seed. Crossing Wyong RiverThe pipeline route corridor for the project will need to cross Wyong River four times as it runs through the Yarramalong Valley. Three of these river crossings will be pipe-bridged (in Sector 3 and Sector 9 of the pipeline route) and one will be underbored (in Sector 8) to avoid a state-recognised Property Vegetation Plan. Each river crossing has been individually assessed to ensure minimal impact on the surrounding environment during construction. Pipe-bridges are not formal access bridges but the pipe itself will 'bridge' between supports on each side of the river. The pipe-bridges will require foundation support piles which are set back from the edge of the watercourse. Any bank stabilisation or restoration work needed along the river bank will be carried out within weeks of construction. Riparian zones will also be restored or rehabilitated after construction. All river crossings have been subject to extensive NSW Government liaison. The work will also be conducted in accordance with conditions in the Review of Environmental Factors (REF) document. Platypus managementStudies indicate that the pipeline crossings of Wyong River will have minimal impact on the local platypus population. Platypus are mobile, with multiple burrows along the river. Studies show that they acclimatise to noise and vibration or relocate to alternative burrows. A platypus survey has been ocnducted to identify existing platypus habitats in areas where the new pipeline will cross Wyong River. A comprehensive platypus report has also been included in the Review of Environmental Factors (REF) document which relates to platypus habitats and platypus management around all river crossings along the pipeline route. A Platypus Expert will continue to be engaged by the Project to manage and monitor the construction of the pipeline as it crosses Wyong River. This Expert will provide ongoing platypus management advice as required. Statutory liaison and approvalsThe Mardi-Mangrove Link Project is subject to extensive statutory input and approvals. The Project Team has been liaising with about 10 NSW Government agencies and has to meet a number of NSW Government legislation and regulations. These include:
Environmental approval for the Project has been determined under Part 5 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. This involved preparation of a Review of Environmental Factors (REF) document which identifies a series of detailed management plans which need to be implemented during and after construction. The plans to be developed by the Project include:
The REF was formally lodged with Wyong Shire Council on 30 June 2009 and was placed on public exhibition to invite written submissions for 28 days from 3-31 July 2009. Seven written submissions were received in response to the REF and these were reviewed, along with the REF, by an independent consultant engaged by Wyong Shire Council to ensure all statutory and other requirements are fully met. A report was prepared for consideration by Wyong Shire Councillors and a decision to approve the REF was granted on 23 September 2009. Further licences and approvals will be required from various State Government Agencies as the Mardi-Mangrove Link Project progresses. The Project Team is also in regular liaison with the Federal Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. It must also meet Federal Government legislation and regulations including:
Traffic managementTraffic management will be a key construction issue for parts of the Mardi-Mangrove Link Project. Yarramalong Road will be impacted by construction vehicles, as well as pipe-laying in the road reserve and other related activities. To help manage this issue and to keep traffic flowing as much as possible, a number of traffic management conditions will be included in the construction contract documents. A number of traffic management issues and mitigation measures are also referred to in the REF document. A Traffic Management Plan will also be developed by the construction contractor with significant input from the Project Team and formal approval from the Wyong Shire Council Traffic Committee. It will seek to ensure that:
The Traffic Management Plan will detail measures for effective traffic arrangements such as:
Water licences upgrade applicationsWyong Shire Council has applied to the NSW Department of Water and Energy (DWE) to upgrade its two existing water licences on Wyong River. These upgrades will help to:
The proposed upgrades will increase Council’s water pumping capacity from 125 million litres a day to a maximum of 320 million litres a day to service town water needs until 2050. This will help maximise water extraction opportunities during higher river flows, such as after heavy rains. Council will not extract river water during very low flows (not until there are sufficient flows to operate the proposed new fishway) and only then will extraction be a proportion of the river flow at other times. This will help to restore Wyong River to more of its natural flow regime and will help to improve the river’s health. A public exhibition of the upgrade applications has been undertaken and a Land Board Hearing was held in March/April 2009 for additional assessment. A formal determination on the upgrades is anticipated by DWE shortly. Project timeframesThe Mardi-Mangrove Link Project is the most significant water supply infrastructure project since the early-1980s when Mangrove Creek Dam was built. It will therefore take some time to carry out all the works necessary to meet community, government and construction requirements. A general timeframe for the project currently includes:
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rategy for the Central Coast. It will help to secure the region’s town water supply over the next four decades by linking Wyong River and Ourimbah Creek to Mangrove Creek Dam, via Mardi Dam
Extensive envrionmental planning and investigations have been undertaken for the Mardi-Mangrove Link Project to ensure activities do not have a significant impact on the Yarramalong Valley envrionment. 
Easements will be subject to a number of usage restrictions once the pipeline is built and the land restored back to its original condition. These include landholders being unable to: 
yong River weir 
