The new charge was introduced last year along with the Sutherland Shire development control plan 2006, which encouraged the council to get serious about cleaning up the Shire.
A council spokeswoman said that although the levy had allowed for the introduction of some new measures, improving stormwater quality had been a priority for some time. “Over the past decade, the council has invested in more than 160 water quality enhancement devices throughout the Shire,” she said. “Looking after our stormwater means cleaner water on our beaches and other local waterways.”
The council now retains and reuses storm water and operates filter traps that clean out rubbish from the drains.
An upgrade of the Como Pleasure Grounds will soon see in-ground storage tanks keeping plants lush all year round using rainwater,” the spokeswoman said.
“Shire residents have also been doing their part, with increases in household recycling methods such as the use of grey water for gardening. The installation of gross pollutant traps has also caught hundreds of tons of organic matter, litter and other debris before it gets to our waterways each year.”
She said the council had made storm water quality a priority and its work would benefit all residents and nurture the environment, including our beaches and waterways.
Surgery Cutbacks, No. Waiting Lists, Yes.
The head of Sutherland Hospital has rejected claims that orthopedic surgeons were advised to cut back on operations and book emergency procedures only in business hours. The statement follows media reports that an internal hospital memo was sent to staff a few weeks ago, advising them to scale back orthopedic surgery because it was too expensive.
Central hospital network manager, Sue Shilbury, refused to comment on the wording of the memo but rejected claims about cut backs to surgery. “Surgeons would never be directed to not book cases at any time if surgery was needed,” Ms Shilbury said.
“Most importantly, we actively encourage surgeons to perform such surgery within business hours for the benefit of the patient and their families. During normal business hours there are more theatre and support staff on hand for patients and their families and it reduces the impact on families who wish to be with their loved ones who may be undergoing surgery.”
She said the hospital was exceeding waiting list benchmarks for orthopedic surgery and was looking at “realigning resources” to meet other areas of clinical need. The hospital’s $1 million joint replacement unit, which consolidated existing orthopedic surgery at St George and Sutherland Hospitals, opened with much fanfare in January last year.
It was described then as having the capacity to become the largest joint replacement centre in the country. Ms Shilbury said waiting lists targets were achieved within six months of the centre opening. She said the average waiting list time for orthopedic surgery in 2005-06 was 262 days and that this had dropped to 144 days in 2006-07. | 
