Sediment Task Force

State Government

Debbie Besch representing the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions

• Debbie is the Healthy Catchments and Coordination Program Manager of the Rivers and Estuaries Branch of DBCA.
• Debbie has been a member of the Task Force since 2014 and has been working on sediment management related projects since 2009.
• Debbie is involved in the Task Force as sediment is having adverse effects on the health of waterways throughout the Swan Canning Catchment.
• Debbie thinks that with increasing urbanisation there will be greater pressure on our waterways, so we need to work collaboratively to address this issue.
• Debbie believes that the most important issue for the Task Force to address is to ensure there is a standard approach by all local and state authorities to manage sand drift through the stages of development.

Vic Andrich representing the Department of Health WA

• Vic is the Department of Health WA’s Senior Policy Officer for their Science and Policy Unit.
• Vic has been a member of the Sediment Task Force since 2018.

Ian Mitchell representing Main Roads WA

• Ian is Main Roads WA’s Environment Officer.
• Ian joined the Task Force in 2021.

Water Corporation

• Jason Mackay, Principal for Drainage & Liveable Communities. Jason was the Water Corporation representative on the Sediment Task Force from 2020-2023.
• Jason re-joined the Task Force in 2024.

Local Government

Sarah Coles representing the WA Local Government Association (WALGA)

• Sarah is WALGA’s Policy Advisor, Environment.
• Sarah joined the Sediment Task Force in 2023.

Lisa Brideson representing the City of Cockburn

• Lisa is the City of Cockburn’s Sustainability and Water Projects Officer.
• Lisa joined the Task Force in March 2023.

Ruban Ganesha representing the City of Kwinana

• Ruban is the City of Kwinana’s Engineering Developments Coordinator.
• Ruban joined the Sediment Task Force in 2022.

Belinda Stobie representing the City of Subiaco

• Belinda is the City of Subiaco’s Environmental Projects Officer.
• Belinda joined the Task Force in 2021.

Jamie Hogan representing the City of Swan

• Jamie is the Assets Works Coordinator for the City of Swan.
• Jamie has extensive experience in erosion and sediment planning, implementation and controls.
• Jamie joined the Task Force in 2023.

Industry

Rebecca Epworth representing the Urban Development Institute of Australia WA

• Rebecca is a former UDIA Councillor and former Chair of the UDIA Urban Water Committee, a current member of the UDIA Urban Water Committee, a member of the Urban Water Standing Advisory Group, Secretary of Stormwater WA, the former Chair of New WAter Ways and an accredited benchmarking provider for Water Sensitive Cities.
• Rebecca joined the Sediment Task Force in 2023.

Aaron Sice representing the Housing Industry Association WA (HIAWA)

• Aaron is the Assistant Director of Building and Planning for HIA (WA).
• Aaron joined the Sediment Task Force in 2019.

Jason Robertson representing the Masters Builders Association of Western Australia (MBAWA)

• Jason is MBA’s Housing Director and was involved in MBA’s Smart waste program.
• Jason joined the Task Force in 2020.

Community

Luke McMillan representing Perth NRM

• Luke is Perth NRM’s Senior Manager – Environment
• Luke again joined the Task Force in 2023.

Amy Krupa representing the South East Regional Centre for Urban Landcare (SERCUL)

• Amy is the CEO of South East Regional Centre for Urban Landcare.
• Amy joined the Task Force in 2020.
• Amy has extensive experience in environmental education and community involvement and more recently in strategic project management.

Sam Grigsby representing the Ellen Brockman Integrated Catchment Group (EBICG)

• Sam is EBICG’s Natural Resource Management Officer, based at the Chittering Landcare Centre.
• Sam joined the Task Force in 2023.

Richard Janes representing North Swan Land Conservation District Committee

• Richard is the Chairperson North Swan Land Conservation District Committee and founding member (1998) and Chairperson of Ellen Brockman Integrated Catchment Group (2020-23).
• Richard joined the Task Force in 2023.

Together with builders, residents, Local Government and environmental managers, the Sediment Task Force is working to control sediment to:

• Protect hydrological functions of rivers, wetlands and other water ways
• Reduce the risk of flooding houses and roads as a result of blocked stormwater drains
• Prevent sediment from smothering the reeds, plants and seagrasses that keep our rivers, wetlands and oceans healthy
• Protect aquatic invertebrates and benthic algae populations, whose presence is necessary for waterways to remain healthy ecosystems
• Prevent fish, prawns, crabs and other aquatic wildlife being killed due to the detrimental effects of sediments entering ecosystems
• Prevent sediment from covering grass in the parks that receive stormwater runoff
• Reduce nutrient enrichment of waterways and associated algal blooms
• Prevent the creation of breeding grounds for pest and potential disease causing mosquitoes and midges and protect public health from mosquito-borne diseases and pathogens
• Help to maintain stormwater management systems such as biofilters, pervious paving, infiltration cells and tree pits that are critical to protecting our rivers, wetlands, marshlands and oceans
• Reduce the risks of accidents on roads and paths.

Success in sediment control will:

• Reduce the costs to governments and the community for stormwater and river and wetland management
• Protect wetland hydrological and biological functions and water quality values
• Protect our local parks (where storm water is often discharged)
• Protect the aesthetic value of rivers, wetlands, marshlands and oceans that are icons of the natural beauty of Perth and regional WA
• Reduce sand and sediment build up on roads
• Reduce the costs of supplying sand for building sites and fill for urban development.