Sydney can help cities clean the seashore

For most holidaymakers flocking to Sydney's Bondi Beach, they probably do not know the city's most famous seashore resort was once heavily polluted: Its famous sandy beach was rubbish-laden and its seawater unsuitable for swimming due to water contamination.

In fact, Bondi was not alone in its sufferings from the city's industrial pollution and people's unawareness of environment protection. A retrospective look at Sydney's poor environmental history shows up to the late 1980s Sydney's coastal zones, the harbor and waterways included, were used as the city's dumping ground and sewage was discharged directly into the sea, posing a severe threat to the ecosystem as well as to human health.

The city owes much of its cleaner waters, enchanting beaches and higher social and political awareness about environmental protection to one organization - the Sydney Coastal Councils Group. Established 25 years ago, it has thrived to be a leading force in Sydney's sustainable coastal management as well as a world leader in providing research and decision-making support for climate change adaptation action.