[1] Historically the area has been mostly a summertime shack locality because of health risks from Launceston city's poorly designed sewerage system frequently overflowing untreated sewage throughout winter and early spring.

This has left residues of organochlorines, lead, arsenic, mercury and in particular DDT in the soils throughout the region.

Lead and arsenic are persistent and become quite problematic when soil is turned over during housing construction excavation.

Sewerage treatment by Launceston city 30 km south, is a major problem for the region because the Tamar Valley acts as a conduit and stormwater from rooves of Launceston houses, is plumbed to run into the sewage treatment ponds, making them frequently overflow during any substantial rainfall event.

[citation needed] The waters of the Tamar River Estuary form the north-western, northern and eastern boundaries.