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<td width="48%" height="150"><div align="center"><a href="javascript:;" onClick="MM_openBrWindow('images/belongil.jpg','Belongil','width=420,height=320')"><img src="byron_bay_belongil/thumbnails/belth.jpg" alt="The Belongil" width="200" height="150" border="0"></a></div></td>
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<h1><font color="#000066" size="5" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font color="#990000" size="2">Byron
Bay Online Guide's</font><br>
The Belongil</strong></font><br>
<strong><font color="#CC0000" size="3" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Byron
Bay</font></strong><br>
<font color="#CC0000" size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong>Belongil</strong>Photo
by the NSW Department of Land and Water<br>
Conservation. Copyright © 1998<br>
</font><font color="#000099" size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">(Click
photo to see a larger image)</font> </h1>
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<h2><br>
<font color="#000099" size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong>Belongil
Creek and Wetland</strong></font><br>
<font color="#CC0000" size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Click
on a photo to see a larger version<br>
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<td align="center"><font color="#CC0000" size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="javascript:;" onClick="MM_openBrWindow('images/1_jpg.jpg','Belongil','width=420,height=320')"><img src="byron_bay_belongil/thumbnails/1_jpg.jpg" alt="Belongil Creek" width="100" height="75" border="0"></a>
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<td align="center"><font color="#CC0000" size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="javascript:;" onClick="MM_openBrWindow('images/2_jpg.jpg','Belongil','width=420,height=320')"><img src="byron_bay_belongil/thumbnails/2_jpg.jpg" alt="Belongil Beach" width="100" height="75" border="0"></a>
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<td align="center"><font color="#CC0000" size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="javascript:;" onClick="MM_openBrWindow('images/3_jpg.jpg','Belongil','width=420,height=320')"><img src="byron_bay_belongil/thumbnails/3_jpg.jpg" alt="Belongil Wetlands" width="100" height="75" border="0"></a>
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<td align="center"><font color="#CC0000" size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="javascript:;" onClick="MM_openBrWindow('images/4_jpg.jpg','Belongil','width=420,height=320')"><img src="byron_bay_belongil/thumbnails/4_jpg.jpg" alt="Belongil Beach and Creek" width="100" height="75" border="0"></a>
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<td align="center"><font color="#CC0000" size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="javascript:;" onClick="MM_openBrWindow('images/5_jpg.jpg','Belongil','width=420,height=320')"><img src="byron_bay_belongil/thumbnails/5_jpg.jpg" alt="Belongil Creek" width="100" height="75" border="0"></a>
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<td height="1132"> <p align="center"><font color="#000099" size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong>Belongil
Creek , Beach and Wetland</strong></font></p>
<p><font color="#000099" size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><font color="#990000">Estuary
Characteristics</font></strong><br>
Catchment Area: 18 km2 <br>
Waterway Area: 0.3 km2<br>
<br>
Entrance Characteristics: Intermittently open and untrained <br>
Location (Lat-Long): 153°35'E 28°39'S <br>
Location (from Sydney): 790 km N<br>
<br>
<font color="#990000"><strong>Physical Features</strong></font><br>
A high littoral transport rate of approximately 80,000 m3/yr passes
the entrance from south to north. The approximate length of the creek
is 3 km. The coastal town of Byron Bay adjoins the catchment to the
south.<br>
<br>
<font color="#990000"><strong>Population and Holiday Centres</strong></font><br>
Byron Bay <br>
<br>
<font color="#990000"><strong>Special Attributes</strong></font><br>
General<br>
Highest catchment rainfall of all NSW estuaries (1,850 mm/yr). <br>
30% of catchment is fresh water swamp - aquatic bird habitat. <br>
Estuary largely covered by mangrove and saltmarsh beds. <br>
</font></p>
<p><font color="#000099" size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong>Belongil
Creek , Beach and Wetland</strong></font></p>
<p><font color="#000099" size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br>
<strong><font color="#990000">Estuary Vegetation</font></strong><br>
Type Area (sq km) Species <a href="http://www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/care/water/estuaries/Inventory/Speciestype.html" target="_blank">(Species
Types) </a><br>
Mangroves 0.050 av,ae <br>
Saltmarsh 0.054 </font> </p>
<p><font color="#000099" size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong>Commercial
Activities</strong><br>
No commercial activities in this estuary </font></p>
<p><font color="#000099" size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong>Management
Issues</strong><br>
Specific Issues<br>
Poor water quality - low dissolved oxygen, low pH, high bacterial
counts has required erection of 'unsafe for swimming' signage. <br>
Acid sulfate soils and the impacts on the estuary of acid runoff from
disturbance and drainage of these soils. <br>
Point source pollution discharges. <br>
Urban stormwater from Byron Bay CBD and industrial estate. <br>
Entrance opening management. <br>
Further residential and industrial developments and Byron Bay road
bypass and sports fields proposals. <br>
Protection of riparian vegetation and aquatic habitats. <br>
<br>
<strong>Estuary Management Process</strong><br>
Step Progress <br>
Form an Estuary Management Committee (EMC)<br>
Assemble Existing Data <br>
Carry out Process Study <br>
Carry out Estuary Management Study<br>
Draft Estuary Management Plan <br>
Review Estuary Management Plan <br>
Adopt and Implement Estuary Management Plan <br>
Monitor and review management process </font></p>
<p><font color="#000099" size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong>Belongil
Creek , Beach and Wetland</strong></font></p>
<p><font color="#000099" size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong>Notes:
</strong><br>
Refer to the <a href="http://www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/care/water/estuaries/manualintro.html" target="_blank">NSW
Government's draft Estuary Management Manual</a> (1992) for details
on each step of the process. <br>
<br>
Belongil Creek Estuary Management Committee was formed in 1994, by
Byron Shire Council, to develop and implement an Estuary Management
Plan for Belongil Creek. The data compilation study was completed
in December 1996, and the processes study was completed in 1997. <br>
<br>
Until the Management Plan is completed the EMC currently provides
a forum for discussion and advice to Council on issues relevant to
the ongoing management of the Belongil Creek estuary.</font></p>
<p><font color="#000099" size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong>Contact:</strong><br>
Byron Shire Council<br>
Environmental Planning Services<br>
Mr Peter Helman<br>
ph (02) 6626 7000 fax (02) 6684 3018</font> </p>
<p><font color="#000099"><strong><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Source:</font></strong><br>
<font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">NSW Department
of Land and Water Conservation<br>
<a href="http://www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/care/water/estuaries/Inventory/belongil.html" target="_blank">www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au
</a></font></font></p></td>
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<p> </p>
<p><font color="#000099" size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong>Belongil
Creek , Beach and Wetland</strong></font><br>
<img src="byron_bay_online_free/bilongilbeach.jpg" alt="Belongil Beach" width="355" height="84"><br>
<br>
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<td height="80"><div align="justify"> <font color="#330066" size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">For
those wanting 'clothing optional' swimmimg there is a nude beach which
has been designated by Byron Council. It is located 500 metres west
of Belongil Creek and can be accessed by driving down Grays Lane at
Tyagarah. If someone is coming down from Queensland and they want
to go to a legal clothing optional beach, then Tyagarah is the northern
end of Belongil Beach. Enter off Pacific Highway about six kilometres
before you get to the Byron Bay turnoff. The road is called Grays
Road and it takes you into the National Park and right to Tyagarah
Beach. </font></div></td>
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<p><font color="#000099" size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><strong><a href="byron_bay_online_top.html">Belongil
Creek and Wetland</a></strong></font></p>
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