Is there any city as globally admired for its coastal lifestyle as Sydney? Our amazing blue backyard is central to this, and it deserves the best protection we can give it.
We love our beaches and blue-green seas and getting out on the water boating, swimming, surfing, diving and fishing.
Sydney’s coastal waters are our pride and joy and our greatest natural asset. Our harbour, beaches and bays also make a huge contribution to our wealth. More than 13 million visitors come from around Australia and the world, contributing more than $15.5 billion each year to the NSW economy.
Swimmers and divers love to swim with our Eastern Blue Groper, who we affectionately call ‘Bluey’. Blue groper live in shallow coastal waters and grow up to 1.2m. Our coast is a nursery and breeding ground for schools of snapper and yellowtail kingfish.
We love our Little Penguins, which grow to about 33cm and are the smallest penguins on Earth. We’re lucky enough to have Little Penguins at Manly, North Sydney Harbour – but they are an incredibly fragile endangered population, with only 40 breeding pairs left.
We love our big brown seals. Australian Fur Seals are still recovering from 19th century hunting. Locals and visitors love to spot seals when they swim in to Sydney Harbour and sometimes rest on the steps of the Sydney Opera House!
With so much at stake it is our privilege and duty to protect our beautiful blue backyard for both our marine life and future generations.
With so much to love, it's no wonder so many Sydneysiders support a Sydney Marine Park.