On Monday 30 October, Council agreed to send two draft documents to the Minister through the Department of Planning and Environment – Crown Lands for approval to adopt.
These were the Draft Crown Reserves Plan of Management for 32 Crown Reserves and the Draft Helensburgh Park Crown Reserves Plan of Management.
Both these documents are very detailed and might feel like heavy reading. But don't worry, we've got your back! Here's the quick Q&A version of what these documents are all about and what's happening next with them.
What is a Crown reserve?
A Crown reserve is a parcel of land which has been set aside by the NSW State Government for the community. Council can only allow people to use it for a limited range of public purposes consistent with the specified reserve purpose.
Wollongong City Council is the Crown Land Manager for 51 Crown reserves under the Crown Land Management Act 2016. All up, that's approximately 584 hectares of Crown reserves land.
What is a plan of management?
It's a document that categorises and guides how community land should be used by people. It explains what Council's management objectives are, and what uses, and developments are permitted on the land. It also provides express authorisations to grant leases and licences over the land. It also allows Council to better indicate how different parts of a large reserve can be used. For example, as a sports field, park, bushland, drainage or general community use.
It's also important to note, that a plan of management is a legislative requirement under the Crown Land Management Act 2016. So, we have to have them.
What was in the Draft Crown Reserves Plan of Management (2023)?
This plan of management is for 32 Crown reserves that are all classified as "community land". All up that's nearly 134 hectares of parks, sportsgrounds, community facilities, natural areas, and open spaces.
It's a legislative requirement for Council to develop a plan of management for Crown land. This document applies to 32 Crown reserves from Austinmer to Port Kembla. Having this document, allows us to manage this land just like we do for Council-owned land like sports grounds and parks.
Earlier this year, Council asked for community members to share their feedback on the draft document. 44 feedback submissions were received. You can read a summary of the submissions and Council's response online in the report to Council.
In response to this feedback, we added new information to the plan of management. One of the ways we did that is by updating the list of priority and threatened species and ecological communities in the Plan of Management Natural Areas Category Action Plan. This will hopefully offer greater protection to species such as the Koala, Spotted-tailed Quoll, Illawarra Subtropical Rainforest and Bangalay Sand Forest, River Flat Eucalypt Forest and Swamp Oak Floodplain Forest.
What about the Draft Helensburgh Park Crown Reserves Plan of Management?
We've also exhibited a separate specific plan of management for Helensburgh Park. That's the area in Helensburgh you know as Rex Jackson Park and Charles Harper Park.
Earlier this year, Council asked for community members to share their feedback on the draft document. 50 feedback submissions were received. You can read a summary of the submissions and Council's response online in the report to Council
Historically, the purpose set for using Helensburgh Park was "public recreation". This meant it could only be used for park activities and sporting activities.
Council has proposed to include a new public purpose, called "community purposes" in the Plan of Management for a small section of Helensburgh Park.
Why? It's a future-proofing step because Helensburgh Park is one of several places in Helensburgh that we're looking at as a possible location for the new Community Centre and Library.
Does that mean you've chosen a location for the new community centre and library?
No. We're still investigating a number of options.
In order to even consider Helensburgh Park as a potential location, we needed to apply to have a new public purpose added to the Helensburgh Park Crown Reserve through the Plan of Management.
Without this, we wouldn't be able to consider this location as an option at all.
What happens next?
Both draft Plans of Managements are still drafts and Council does not have the authority to approve them. Instead, we need to send them to the Minister of the NSW Department of Planning and Environment – Crown Lands. It's up to the Minister to agree to adopt the draft Plan of Managements.
If we're given the green light to adopt these documents, only then will they come into effect.
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