Joint media release: Living seawalls draw marine life back to Sydney Harbour

Minister for the Environment and Water, the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP
Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Chair, Prof Tim Entlewise
SIMS and UNSW Living Seawalls Co-founder, Prof Melanie Bishop

Cockatoo Island / Wareamah will soon be teeming with marine life thanks to a new project delivered as part of the Albanese Government’s $45.2 million restoration of Sydney Harbour.

New textured 3D panels called ‘living seawalls’ have been fitted to the island’s flat seawalls to replicate ocean habitats – providing places for aquatic life to hide, eat and grow.

Endangered White’s seahorses, fish, oysters and barnacles are among 150 sea creatures being drawn back to the World Heritage listed site.  

Sydney Harbour Federation Trust and the Sydney Institute of Marine Science are rolling out the new installation as part of a government-funded partnership.

It’s one of several projects they’re piloting to restore marine biodiversity and health at Cockatoo Island / Wareamah after years of neglect and chronic underfunding.

Earlier this year, an endangered White’s seahorse was discovered at Sydney Harbour’s largest island for the first time ever as 20 ‘seahorse hotels’ were installed near the wharf.

The Cockatoo Island / Wareamah Marine Restoration Pilot Project is the first initiative of the new Cockatoo Island / Wareamah Master Plan, released today.

The master plan presents a new vision to reactivate and transform the harbour island, turning it into one of Australia’s premium visitor destinations with new attractions and experiences.

Last year, the Albanese Labor Government invested $45.2 million to address the critical backlog of repair work to Sydney Harbour left behind by the Liberals and Nationals, including cracked seawalls and dilapidated wharves. Over $21 million of this funding is focused on Cockatoo Island / Wareamah.

Read the master plan here: https://www.harbourtrust.gov.au/media/jp1lbs52/cockatoo-island-wareamah-master-plan.pdf.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek:

“Sydney Harbour is truly one of Australia’s most special places and this collective effort to restore World Heritage-listed Cockatoo Island / Wareamah will leave a lasting legacy.

“You can't protect threatened species without protecting their habitats and these new living seawalls will transform Sydney Harbour – providing homes for sea creatures, increasing marine biodiversity and cleaning up our waterways.”

Quotes attributable to the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust (Harbour Trust) Chair, Prof Tim Entwisle:

“A key action from the new Cockatoo Island / Wareamah Master Plan is to support the biodiversity above and within Sydney Harbour, and to rehabilitate waters around the island.

“This pilot project with the Sydney Institute of Marine Science demonstrates our long-term commitment to transformation and reactivation of the island and is the perfect start to implementing this transformational master plan.”

Quotes attributable to SIMS and UNSW Living Seawalls Co-founder, Prof Melanie Bishop:

“Living seawalls provide protective spaces for fish, invertebrates and seaweeds to thrive, on otherwise flat and featureless infrastructure. Rockpool, crevice and other habitat mimics increase biodiversity by up to three-fold.

“The first pilot of living seawalls on a harbour island gives researchers the opportunity to test the efficacy of habitat enhancement at a site with a history of disturbance.”