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Estuaries in NSW

Tweed River
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Cudgen Lake and Creek
[Image of Estuary] Tweed River
Shape, Size and Scale of Estuary

Estuary Type

River and lake

Estuary Characteristics

Area Catchment 1100 km2
Waterway Area 30 km2
Entrance Characteristics Twin training breakwaters, generally navigable
Location (Lat-Long) 28.170S ,  153.556E
Distance (from Sydney) 860 km North
Summary of Available Data Data Pages

Physical Features

The towns of Tweed Heads and Coolangatta are located near the entrance, with Murwillumbah 26 km upstream. The estuary exhibits a mean spring tidal range inside the entrance of 1.15 m which attenuates to 0.72 m at Murwillumbah. The peak flood and ebb spring tidal discharges measured in the main channel approximately 1 km upstream of the entrance in March 1977 were 411 m3/s and 435 m3/s respectively, with the corresponding peak surface velocities 0.55 m/s and 1.16 m/s. The main arm of the river is approximately 60 km in length and is tidal to a weir located 2 km upstream of Murwillumbah. A net littoral transport rate of approximately 500,000 m3/yr passes the entrance from south to north. (Now highly influenced by the operation of the Tweed River Entrance Bypassing project).

Significant Estuarine Tributaries

Cobaki Broadwater
Terranora Broadwater
Terranora Creek
Bilambil Creek
Tweed River
Rous River
Bilambil Creek

Population and Holiday Centres

Tweed Heads
Tumbulgum
Murwillumbah
Bonora Point
Condong

Special Attributes

General

  • Major tourist area - existing infrastructural capacity for further development.
  • Important ecological area - extensive area of wetland habitat for aquatic and terrestrial fauna.
  • Important commercial fish, prawn and oyster producing estuary.
  • Some 85% of NSW sugar cane is grown in the Tweed River flood plain.
  • Significant sand and gravel resources.
  • In 1974/75 764,000 m3 of sand was removed from the entrance. In 1995/96 2,500,000 m3 sand was dredged from the entrance bar.
  • In 2000 the Tweed River Entrance Sand Bypassing project commenced operation to nourish Gold Coast beaches and maintain a navigable Tweed River entrance.

Estuarine Vegetation

The spatial data is reproduced from NSW Fisheries(2006/7) studies, whilst the species makeup is from the West et al.(1985). This map shows the spatial extent of the Estuarine Vegetation.

Type Area Species 1
(km2)
Mangroves 3.982 av,ae,ex,rh,br
Seagrass 0.806 z
Saltmarsh 0.763

References

R.J. Williams, G. West, D. Morrison and R.G. Creese, (2006),
"Estuarine Resources of New South Wales",
prepared for the Comprehensive Coastal Assessment (DoP) by the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Port Stephens.

R.J. West, C.A. Thorogood, T.R. Walford and R.J. Williams. (1985).
"An Estuarine Inventory for New South Wales, Australia".
Fisheries Bulletin 2. Department of Agriculture, New South Wales.

Estuary Commerce

fishing, oyster, port, tourism, extraction, sewage

Management Issues

This estuary falls in the area covered by Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority.

Tweed River

The Tweed predates the Estuary Management Process but a similar process was undertaken.

Current Situation

Management Plans have been developed for both the Lower Tweed Estuary (1991) and the Upper Tweed Estuary (1996), now combined into a Tweed Estuary Management Plan, under the responsibility of the Tweed Shire Council through its Tweed River Committee (TRC). Formal plans have been developed covering the whole of the Tweed estuary, providing the framework for protection, rehabilitation, recreation and enhancement projects for the estuary. The major objectives of the estuary management for the Tweed are :-

  • Fisheries - preservation and enhancement of fisheries habitat.
  • Ecological - retention and enhancement of natural habitat areas
  • Visual Amenity - retention and enhancement of high quality visual amenity
  • Recreation - encouragement for sustainable use and provision of facilities
  • Navigation - identification and maintenance of necessary channels
  • Heritage - maintenance of areas of archaeological significance
  • Discharges - treatment and monitoring of all discharges
  • Implementation - actuation of management plan recommendations and public involvement
  • Maintenance and Improvement - development of an evolving works plan

Management plans for specific areas of the estuary have been prepared for Terranora Broadwater, Cobaki Broadwater, Ukerabagh Passage, Lower Tweed Boating, Southern Boat Harbour and Tweed Riverbanks.

Documentation of all studies and investigations in the Tweed is summarised in Tweed River Studies Analysis - A summary and evaluation of the studies relating to the Tweed River and catchment area (1998). A formal plan review was completed in 2001.

The Estuary Management Process 2

Process Status Date
Form Estuary Management Committee (EMC) completed
Assemble Existing Data completed
Carryout Process Study completed
Carryout Estuary Management Study completed
Draft Estuary Management Plan completed
Review Estuary Management Plan completed
Implement Estuary Management Plan commenced 1993
Monitor and Review Estuary Management Process commenced 2001

Contact Details

Tweed Shire Council TRC Coordinator Jane Lofthouse
(02) 6672 0577 fax (02) 6672 0429

References

Local Government Areas

Tweed

NSW 1:25000 Map Name(s)

Tweed Heads
Murwillumbah
Currumbin