Environment

Environment

We all share responsibility for looking after the environment that sustains us.

Through our ISO14001:2015-certified Environmental Management System, Sunwater aims to:

  • reduce Sunwater’s impact on the environment
  • comply fully with environmental legislation
  • support the movement of native fish and limit the spread of pest fish
  • manage weeds on our property
  • find better and more sustainable ways to control weeds.

If you have any questions or would like to report an environmental concern, contact us through the online feedback form or on 13 15 89.

Weed management

We drain our irrigation channels at various times through the year to do maintenance, treat water and remove weeds. If weeds build up, they can block our channels and affect water supply.

We use a weed control product called Magnacide™ H. It has been used in Australia since the early 1970s because it:

  • rapidly breaks down into water and carbon dioxide
  • does not harm plant roots
  • binds to soil, which helps stop it reaching groundwater.

Fishways

Sunwater is committed to creating fish-friendly environments. Many of our sites have fishways, in particular vertical slot fish ladders and fish locks.

Fish ladders work well on tidal barrages, helping migratory fish species move between fresh and salt water.

For structures over six metres, we add fish locks. These help a wide range of fish species move up and downstream.

When we design a fishway, we focus on:

  • making sure the fish can find the fishway easily
  • creating entrances and exits that work well for different fish species
  • designing the water flow within the fishway so fish can easily move through it
  • understanding how different fish species move and how different water conditions affect them.

Check out the most recent report on our fishways.