Coast watcher

Fiona McPherson has always lived near the ocean, so a career as a Department of Environment and Conservation Beachwatch officer was a natural choice for her. The Cronulla resident spends her days travelling along Sydney’s coast and boating on its waterways, testing popular swimming areas for stormwater and sewerage pollution.
“It’s a fantastic job,” she says. “We’re out of the office three days a week. It’s a rotating roster so we have three days for field samples, then process them in the office. All sites have to be sampled every six days.”

There are 100 sampling sites around Sydney’s waterways and beaches, ranging from Palm Beach in the north to Malabar in the south and encompassing Sydney Harbour, Pittwater, Botany Bay and the lower Georges River.  “We sample for two types of bacteria, which are indicators of water pollution. But we can’t notify people straight away because of the time it takes to process the results,” McPherson explains. But she says there are general guidelines on water quality that safety-conscious swimmers should follow.  “We put out a daily bulletin based on the rainfall, to warn people if it is likely to be polluted with stormwater, which is on our website,” McPherson says.

Her work often arouses curiosity among swimmers. “There are a lot of interested individuals who we meet when we’re out on the job,” she says. “Because people are quite protective of their beach they are so excited to realise that people are taking an interest. They’ll say things such as ‘I remember during the ’80s when it was terrible’. Most of them have noticed a change.  “When we’re out there we let them know what they can do to make a difference. We encourage them to pick up their litter and make sure that only water goes down the drain.”

McPherson’s first involvement with Beachwatch was doing work experience after she completed an honours degree in Marine Science at the University of Sydney. But before she started as a Beachwatch officer, she worked on the Barrier Reef in north Queensland.  “I worked in environmental education roles on the reef. I spent a couple of years on different islands and the tourist boats,” she says. “But a lot of these jobs only come up during the summer, and I wanted something more consistent.” McPherson says being a Beachwatch officer is the perfect balance.

“I love being on the beach and the waterways are just incredible,” she says. “It’s a really good mix of office work and the outdoors.”

How to be a Beachwatch officer

You need to have a degree in marine science or a related field.

Details: contact the NSW Department of Environment and Conservation, 131555 or www.environment.nsw.gov.au and follow the prompts to the Beachwatch site.