The Australian Government: Sydney Harbour Federation Trust. Planning.

Harbour Trust: Planning

The Plan: Objectives and Policies

To guide all of the Trust's activities - its day-to-day decisions about plan implementation including conservation works, management and the provision of public access, as well as other activities like the leasing of buildings, public consultation etc - the Trust has developed a comprehensive set of objectives and policies. These objectives and policies cover a wide range of matters from natural heritage to design, education and interpretation. The Plan identifies each objective and its relevance to sites covered by the Plan. Most importantly it also establishes the way in which the objectives are to be applied.

The objectives are grouped thematically and apply to all of the land covered by the Plan including Harbour Land where they will provide guidance for the assessment of development proposals.

The Plan makes it mandatory for these objectives and policies to be addressed when more detailed plans, policies, guidelines or developments are being considered on Trust Land Sites.

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Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD)

ESD is central to the Trust's management, strategic planning and development decision-making. The concept of ESD has been defined as: "Development that improves the quality of life, both now and in the future, in a way that improves the ecological processes on which life depends" - National Strategy for ESD (1992).

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 provides the following core principles of ESD:

  • Decision-making processes should effectively integrate both long-term and short-term economic, environmental, social and equitable considerations
  • If there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation
  • The principle of inter-generational equity - that the present generation should ensure that the health, diversity and productivity of the environment is maintained or enhanced for the benefit of future generations
  • The conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity should be a fundamental consideration in decision-making
  • Improved valuation, pricing and incentive mechanisms should be promoted

The Trust recognises that the implementation of these objectives is not straightforward. This is partly because they provide minimal instruction for practical action and contain some ambiguity. The Trust also recognises that the principal objective is to achieve the effective integration and balance of economic, environmental and social considerations.

To meet this objective the Trust will ensure that:

  • The natural biological diversity is protected, conserved and interpreted with particular emphasis on threatened species and endangered populations and communities as an integral part of any redevelopment or use of Trust land sites
  • Trust sites are accessible to the community and offer a high quality of life for those who live or work at the site and a highly desirable recreation destination
  • Re-use and redevelopment preserves significant areas for open space as a resource for generations to come
  • Development and adaptive re-use achieves reductions in the use of energy from sources which are non-renewable or emit greenhouse gases in energy generation or consumption compared to previous uses or comparable uses
  • All development and ongoing management activities on Trust sites maximise the appropriate use of recycled and reused materials and reduce waste generation
  • Development minimises the use of materials, which deplete natural resources or create toxic pollution in their manufacture, use or disposal
  • Buildings to be removed will be reused where possible and where demolition is necessary materials will be recycled where possible
  • Use of Trust sites minimises the negative impact on Sydney's air quality and avoids ozone-depleting substances. This includes encouraging the use of public transport, walking or cycling
  • Measures are taken to minimise impact of noise and light pollution on environmental conservation areas and surrounding land uses
    Any use of the Trust lands results in improvement to water quality entering the harbour from the site
  • Any development remediates the results of polluting activities of the past and ensures protection of soil and sediments within the developed area
  • It remains accountable in the achievement of ESD, by measuring, monitoring and reporting with respect to the key indicators for sustainability and use this information to continually improve policies, plans and practices
  • Contracting and procurement methods are developed, implemented and reviewed so that environmental objectives supporting ESD are adopted by contractors and suppliers
  • The formation of partnerships and works with the community, stakeholders and other agencies to achieve environmental outcomes
  • Adhere to Water Sensitive Urban Design principles when developing any future plans
  • Investigate and where appropriate use renewable energy on Trust sites

Geodiversity Conservation

One of the things that the community most values about the natural heritage of Sydney Harbour is the complex of cliffs, bushy slopes and rocky edges that meet the water along a shoreline of sandy beaches and rock platforms. These features form part of the harbour's geodiversity.

Geoconservation aims to protect the natural diversity of the non-living environment. This means protecting significant landforms, bedrock and soil features and processes. The Australian Natural Heritage Charter sets out the principles, processes and standards for the conservation of natural heritage places including geodiversity. It defines geodiversity as the range of earth features including geological, geomorphological, palaeontological, soil, hydrological and atmospheric features, systems and earth processes.

While geoconservation can relate to bioconservation in that geodiversity provides the variety of environments and environmental dynamics that directly influence biodiversity, many geoheritage items are significant in their own right, independent of any ecological role that they might play. A good example of this is the Pleistocene-aged sand dunes found on the plateau at North Head.

Geodiversity has contributed much of the character of Sydney Harbour. This applies not only to its natural features but also to the way in which the city has developed around it. This is particularly relevant for the former defence sites that were located so as to maximise the natural fortress like qualities of the cliffs around the entrance to the harbour.

In protecting the geodiversity of its sites, the Trust will:

  • Adopt the conservation principles, processes and practices contained in the Australian Natural Heritage Charter (2002) to guide its decisions relating to matters that may impact on the geodiversity values of the sites
  • Identify, protect, conserve and interpret significant sites such as volcanic dykes, Pleistocene sand dunes and laterites etc.
Biodiversity Conservation

The conservation of biodiversity and the maintenance of ecological processes and systems within the Trust's Plan area are fundamental goals of the Trust's ESD policy and will be integrated into the Trust's management, strategic planning and development approval processes.

Biodiversity refers to the diversity of plants, animals, aquatic species, insects, invertebrates and microorganisms found in nature, not just threatened species. It can also refer to the variety of ecosystems that are found and in living organisms includes both species diversity and genetic diversity.

The Trust is undertaking fauna and flora studies of all its sites including neighbouring land administered by NPWS, to provide base line information to enable the Trust to identify and manage the sites' biodiversity.

In protecting the biodiversity of its sites, the Trust will:

  • Adopt the conservation principles, processes and practices contained in the "Australian Natural Heritage Charter (2002)" to guide its decisions relating to matters that impact on biodiversity
  • Protect native animals, vegetation, habitats and habitat corridors to ensure that their ecological function and integrity is maintained or enhanced, with priority to those species, populations and communities which have been identified as rare, endangered or vulnerable
  • Undertake comprehensive fauna and flora surveys for all of the sites where this information has not already been gathered
  • Promote an integrated approach to biodiversity conservation with neighbours, Local Councils, fire authorities and adjoining land owners and participate in joint biodiversity conservation and interpretation programs
  • Cooperate with the NPWS and Environment Australia where appropriate in the implementation of species recovery and threat abatement plans on the Trust land sites
  • Consult with the Aboriginal community in the identification, conservation and interpretation of significant biodiversity values on Trust land sites
  • Ensure that all activities proposed for Trust sites undergo appropriate environmental assessment and that all activities are in accordance with the biophysical limits of the area
  • Implement both State and Commonwealth species recovery plans and threat abatement plans on Trust land sites where appropriate
  • Control threats such as feral animal species, weeds, disease, sedimentation, storm water runoff, increased nutrient levels, harmful chemicals and other threatening human activity, so that their impact on the aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity of the Plan area is minimised
  • Ensure that bush fire hazard reduction measures take into account habitat requirements for native species and the appropriate fire regimes required for the survival and continued functioning of native vegetation. Adverse impacts of altered fire regimes on biodiversity will be avoided
  • Repair and rehabilitate appropriate areas to enhance their biological diversity
  • Maintain natural watercourses and adjoining riparian land
  • Monitor, regulate and minimise processes and activities that have or are likely to have significant adverse impacts on the conservation of biological diversity and be able to respond appropriately to any emergency situations that may arise
Bush Care

The sheer beauty of the green headlands and the remnant natural bushland around the harbour foreshores are two of the things that the community most values about the harbour. Eighty percent of the respondents to the Trust's Sites Unseen Exhibition Questionnaire ranked "protecting and enhancing bushland" as essential.

The vegetation on Middle Head and North Head is an important remnant of the original plant communities that once covered much of the coast around Sydney. It includes areas of angophora forest, tea tree scrub, heath land and hanging swamps, as well as endangered ecological plant communities such as the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub at North Head and threatened species such as Acacia terminalis ssp. terminalis and Eucalyptus camfieldii.

The bushland is also important because it provides habitat for native wildlife including endangered species or populations like the Long-nosed Bandicoot Parameles nasuta population and the Red Crowned Toadlet Pseudophryne australis.

However, in many adjoining areas the bush land is in poor condition due to previous land fill activity, changes in drainage patterns, increased soil nutrient levels and the absence of fire. At Middle Head increased storm water run off and increased nutrient levels have resulted in moderate to severe weed invasion around the edges. The absence of fire at Middle Head has resulted in a decline in species diversity with Sweet Pittosporum emerging as the dominant species and while at North Head it has resulted in unusually mature heath and tea tree scrub. Mature trees, particularly smooth barked apple Angophora costata, Sydney peppermint Eucalyptus piperita and Bangalay Eucalyptus botryoides, are dying in significant areas. At Middle Head the soil borne pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi is active.

To protect the nature conservation and scenic values of the vegetation in the Plan area the Trust will:

  • Increase the amount of vegetated land within the Plan area by revegetating and regenerating areas that are currently degraded or where buildings, paving or fill have been removed
  • Revegetate using seed collected from plants that are indigenous to the Plan area and where possible, from material propagated from the area being revegetated
  • Remove and control introduced plants that are of no historical or cultural importance
  • Control weed growth
  • Ensure that inappropriate non-indigenous plants will not be deliberately introduced to natural areas and will be managed and controlled to limit their dispersal
  • Give priority to bushcare programs, which protect rare, vulnerable and endangered plant species and communities from disturbance and manage them in a way that will ensure their long-term conservation. This includes maintenance and ongoing management
  • Control access to vulnerable bush land areas
  • Remediate areas where there have been changes in landform, drainage patterns and nutrient levels and where these changes are having an adverse impact on neighbouring vegetation
  • Work jointly with adjoining land managers, Local Councils and bushcare groups to develop and implement a local management strategy aimed at reducing the risk of dieback within the bushland areas of Middle Head and Georges Heights
  • Be guided by the Threat Abatement Plan for Phytophthora cinnamomi prepared by Environment Australia
  • Adopt best practice protocols for contractors and others undertaking bush regeneration, construction work and the like as recommended by the Royal Botanic Gardens in its report dated October 2002 on the control of Phytophthora at Middle Head
  • Control access to areas where Phytophthora cinnamomi is known to be present
  • Manage fire, including controlled burns, having regard for the ecological consequences and with a view to maintaining species diversity
  • Integrate bushcare programs with management practices and programs of neighbours, Local Councils, fire authorities and adjoining land managers
    Management of Native and Introduced Animals

The Trust's lands and the adjoining Sydney Harbour National Park provide important habitat for native animals. However, fragmentation and predation by introduced animals like foxes, cats and dogs have greatly reduced the number and variety of species. This process has also been exacerbated by urbanisation and an associated increase in the numbers of highly competitive birds like Noisy Miners Manorina melanocephala and predators like Pied Currawongs Strepera graculina).

Conversely the waters of the harbour and the intertidal foreshores support diverse plant and animal life. This includes undersea meadows and forests as well as many species of fish, invertebrates, mammals and birds. The waters near Chowder Bay are particularly rich and support a variety of marine life such as sea horses, sponges, sea squirts, octopus and many other invertebrates.

The Trust has completed a fauna survey of its Middle Head lands and has initiated similar surveys for North Head, Woolwich and Cockatoo Island. The Middle Head study did not identify any rare or endangered species although the Common Bent Wing Bat Miniopterus schreibersii is known to spend the winter months in the fortifications located there and the glossy Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami is an occasional visitor. Both of these species are identified as vulnerable species in Schedule 2 of the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.

At North Head there are resident populations of Long-nosed Bandicoots Parameles nasuta and Little Penguins Eudyptula minor. These populations are among the few remaining in the Sydney region and have been listed as endangered populations under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.

The other sites have been greatly modified and there are no known populations of significance. However, since shipbuilding ceased, Cockatoo Island has become a nesting site for Silver Gulls Larus novaehollandiae and this will require specific investigation and management.

Feral animals are commonly found on the Trust lands and include rabbits, foxes, cats, rats and mice. They are having a significant impact on native animal populations and will require ongoing management in collaboration with neighbouring land managers. At North Head and Middle Head, rabbits are a particular problem and although they have been subject to ongoing eradication programmes their numbers remain high.

The Trust will manage native and introduced animals on its sites by:

  • Maintaining and enhancing native animal habitats including migratory wildlife habitats
  • Identifying and maintaining habitat corridors between remnant areas of bushland habitat and where appropriate creating new corridors as part of the revegetation program
  • Undertaking feral animal control programs in co-operation with NPWS, Councils and other neighbouring land managers
  • Working co-operatively with NPWS, neighbouring Local Councils and other agencies on environmental management programs
  • Adopting a policy of not allowing the tenants of Trust properties, particularly at North Head, to keep pets such as cats or dogs, that are likely to be a threat to wildlife
Water Quality and Catchment Protection

All of the Trust's lands drain directly into Sydney Harbour or onto land that drains into it. As a consequence the way in which the Trust manages its land can make an important contribution to the improvement of the harbour's water quality.

The community has a reasonable expectation that it will be able to swim at harbour beaches such as Clifton Gardens and to eat fish caught in the harbour without suffering any adverse health impacts. Similarly there is an expectation that beaches will be free of litter and rubbish.

There is also an expectation that the harbour's aquatic ecosystem will be protected and fostered. NSW Fisheries has identified the harbour's intertidal zone to be a Protected Area. It has also declared two areas near North Head to be Aquatic Reserves. One reserve is within the harbour while the other is on the ocean side of North Head at Cabbage Tree Bay. Similarly Mosman Council has prepared a draft Local Environmental Plan that identifies wetlands including seagrasses in sheltered bays such as Chowder Bay, for protection.

The Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality (ANZECC & ARMCANZ 2000) recognises six environmental values that the community may want protected. These range from ecosystem protection - the most pristine, to industrial water - the poorest quality.

A certain level of water quality is needed to achieve each environmental value. Water Quality Objectives, WQOs, set the limits at which water quality is suitable for the desired use.

In the case of Sydney Harbour the NSW Environment Protection Authority has set Interim WQOs and River Flow Objectives. For the Lower Estuary including the waters around North Head, Middle Head and Camp Cove, WQOs have been set for the protection of aquatic ecosystems, primary contact recreation such as swimming and aquatic foods (cooked). In the case of the Upper Estuary including the waters around Cockatoo Island, Snapper Island and Woolwich similar WQOs have been set. However, the time frame in which the outcomes are to be achieved will be longer than those for the Lower Estuary.

To achieve these WQOs, it is essential that pollution is managed on a catchment wide basis. In respect of the Trust's sites the Trust will:

  • Manage each site taking into account:
    • The Interim Water Quality and Flow Objectives for Sydney Harbour
    • Relevant targets and actions in the Sydney Harbour Catchment Management Board's Catchment Blueprint (currently being drafted)
    • Relevant Stormwater Management Plans prepared by Local Councils
  • Manage stormwater by adopting best practice management for stormwater with the aim of minimising its impacts through on-site detention, treatment and reuse
  • Ensure that soil erosion and sedimentation control measures are in place prior to and during construction and maintenance activities
  • Monitor ground and surface water discharges from Cockatoo Island and use this information in the ongoing management of pollution on the island
  • Eliminate point source pollution
  • Work cooperatively with Sydney Water in implementing water conservation measures and implementing appropriate sewage and grey water treatment programs.
Transport Management and Air Quality

One of the key objectives of the Trust Act is to maximise public access to the lands identified in the Plan so that the whole community has the opportunity to experience and appreciate them. However, five of the sites are located at the end of peninsulas and two are islands. This presents particular challenges for the Trust in implementing ecologically sustainable solutions and in meeting the objectives of the State government's policies - Action for Air, Action for Transport 2010 and SEPP No. 66 - Integrating Land Use and Transport. These policies promote the use of public transport, a reduction in Vehicle Kilometres Travelled (VKT) and as a consequence, emissions from motor vehicles - a key environmental objective in the Sydney air shed.

Consistent with these objectives the Trust will:

  • Locate any significant trip-generating activities in places that optimise accessibility, encourage and facilitate public transport use and reduce car travel and reliance on cars
  • Improve transport choice by creating an environment that accommodates a range of transport modes, and especially encourages public transport use, cycling and walking
  • Make decisions about land use and new activities in a way that encourages people to use sustainable modes of transport
  • Limit travel demand by private car, including the number of trips generated by development and the distances travelled, by setting maximum parking numbers for Trust land sites that are consistent with their traditional operational levels
  • Limit the amount of long stay car parking where there is good alternative access by public transport
  • Ensure the location of parking areas do not impact on the unique characteristics of the sites and ensure parking areas are linked to more sensitive features of each site with safe pedestrian and cycle ways
  • Enhance existing infrastructure and encourage service providers to provide new opportunities for water-based and other public transport. This is particularly important for Middle Head and Chowder Bay
  • Ensure that traffic generated by uses within the Trust's sites has minimal impact on the surrounding residential areas
  • Encourage the use of alternatives to the motor car by providing reliable information to people visiting Trust sites about routes, connections, timetables, etc
  • Consider the cumulative traffic impacts of both developments on Trust lands and neighbouring sites when preparing a Management Plan
  • Include Transport Management as a matter to be addressed in the preparation of a Management Plan

Bushfire Management

Fire has been an essential element in the evolution of the plants and animals that characterise Sydney Harbour. However, the two most extensive bushland areas covered by the Trust's Plan - North Head and Middle Head, have had few fires over the last 25 years. This is less than ideal for maintaining structural and species diversity as it has resulted in changes to the vegetation, higher fuel levels and increased risk of more intense fire.

The Trust has a responsibility to manage bushfire risk on its lands to:

  • Protect life and property on both its land and adjoining lands
  • Protect the natural, scenic and cultural values
  • Minimise the risk of unplanned bush fires on its land
  • Minimise the potential for bushfires to spread onto and from its lands


To satisfy these responsibilities the Trust will:

  • Prepare a bushfire management plan having regard for Planning for Bushfire Protection (NSW Rural Fire Service & Planning, 2001) for Middle Head that takes into account ecological management requirements
  • Participate and co-operate with Manly/Mosman Bush Fire Management Committee in the implementation and review of the district bush fire risk management plan and operations plan
  • Co-operate with all relevant authorities and neighbours to ensure co-ordination of fire management on Trust lands and on adjoining lands
Contamination

Following their history of industrial and military uses, all of the Trust lands have a degree of contamination which has resulted from activities that have taken place on or adjacent to the lands. The contamination includes: 'point source' related contamination (such as that arising from storage tanks, oil or fuel stores), deteriorating building materials (such as lead based paints and asbestos materials) and land-fill where wastes associated with the former uses, including military related wastes, have been deposited.

Detailed environmental assessments have previously been carried out for Cockatoo Island, Woolwich Dock and parklands, Middle Head-Georges Heights and Chowder Bay precincts, and North Head. Preliminary assessments have also been carried out for Snapper Island and Macquarie Lightstation. These assessments indicate varying levels of contamination on each site.

The nature and extent of contamination includes pollutants in soil, groundwater, surface waters and marine sediments, and deteriorating hazardous materials and wastes associated with buildings and structures. All of the contaminated materials have some kind of environmental and/ or aesthetic impact. In terms of its nature and extent, this impact is most significant on Cockatoo Island. However, at the other end of the scale, impacts such as lead based paint breakdown and dust release will need to be addressed at sites like Macquarie Lightstation.

In managing the impacts of this contamination the Trust will:

  • Ensure that public health and the environment are protected with the application of consistent and sound environmental management practices
  • Reduce the potential for offsite migration and environmental impact of contaminations
  • Develop management and remediation strategies in accordance with its commitment to ESD
  • Apply methods for remediation that meet currently available engineering best practice and community standards
  • Conform with applicable State and Commonwealth guidelines, processes and requirements. Of particular relevance are guidelines made under the Contaminated Land Management Act 1997 including the National Environment Protection (Assessment of Site Contamination) Measure (NEPM) 1999
  • Engage accredited auditors to review the assessment and remediation process, where these issues are significant, and to ensure the Trust's environmental obligations are met as the lands are opened to the public
Aboriginal Heritage

Aboriginal heritage includes sites showing evidence of Aboriginal occupation and places that are of contemporary or spiritual importance according to Aboriginal culture or custom. Aboriginal sites include items such as midden deposits, rock engravings and painting sites. They may also include natural features of the environment such as ridges, creeks or beaches, as well as ceremonial or story places. The site of Bungaree's Farm at Georges Heights is an example of early contact.

European settlement was devastating to the Aboriginal people living around Sydney Harbour and nearby areas. Today much of the evidence of the traditional way of life of the Aboriginal people in Sydney has been removed as the city has developed. Aboriginal sites have survived mostly on land which was reserved for defence purposes, was too difficult to develop, or was reserved for recreational purposes.

Any information relating to Aboriginal heritage provided by members of Aboriginal communities must be treated with respect, and any agreement regarding access and/or confidentiality is to be honoured.

The Aboriginal sites and places on the Trust lands are significant to local Aboriginal people. These sites provide evidence of a traditional way of life of the original occupants and provide an opportunity for the education of Aboriginal children and the wider public. For this reason it is important to document and interpret the presence of ancient and living culture on the harbour, enabling visitors to gain a greater appreciation of Aboriginal culture and its connections to the harbour and to the Trust lands more specifically. In doing this, the Trust must be guided by the Aboriginal community. To this end the Trust has established an Aboriginal Steering Committee to advise on all indigenous issues including consultation and matters relating to a Cultural Centre.

In order to work with the Aboriginal community in the interpretation and documentation of Aboriginal heritage on Sydney Harbour and to ensure that all visitors to the Trust lands gain a greater appreciation of Aboriginal culture, the Trust will:

  • Ensure that the Aboriginal community is consulted on all Aboriginal heritage related matters
  • Develop plans and ensure planning processes implemented by the Trust recognise and consider Aboriginal cultural values
  • Conserve and manage Aboriginal sites on Trust lands in consultation with local Aboriginal communities
  • Ensure an archaeological assessment is carried out prior to any work that has the potential to impact on Aboriginal sites. Works will be modified as necessary to avoid impacting on Aboriginal sites
  • Identify, make publicly accessible and promote, where appropriate, places for contemporary Aboriginal celebration and places that reflect and celebrate the existence of Aboriginal culture
  • Investigate the feasibility of establishing an Aboriginal Cultural Centre, on an appropriate site, selected in consultation with and managed by, the Aboriginal community
  • Endeavour to use culturally appropriate Aboriginal names to describe Trust sites. In conjunction with the Aboriginal community, the Trust will research and verify Aboriginal names so as to ensure that any names used, bear relation to the cultural significance and use of the sites
  • Encourage people to experience Aboriginal culture by identifying, interpreting and making accessible Aboriginal sites on Trust lands. These sites will be selected and managed in a sustainable and culturally appropriate manner with the guidance of the Aboriginal people
Cultural Heritage

Sydney Harbour is a complex historical place with a rich layering of past occupations and uses that are still evident. Its qualities are drawn from its origins and its history as well as its communities, patterns and form.

The opening to the harbour through the massive sandstone cliffs of North and South Heads is a gateway in both a real and spiritual sense. The Harbour was a place of arrival and refuge for the first Europeans. It also developed as a place of defence, a place of incarceration and a place of maritime industry around which other activities clustered.

These harbour related themes of defence, incarceration and maritime industry as well as navigation and marine research are all represented on the Trust's sites.

All of the Trust Land Sites and the former School of Artillery are entered on the Register of the National Estate and include specific places of national heritage importance. There is the convict prison on Cockatoo Island - the only surviving Imperially funded convict works in NSW. The fortifications on Georges Head - part of the most diverse collection of coastal defence heritage in Australia, the School of Artillery at North Head, the Macquarie Lightstation, the former Biological Research Station at Camp Cove and of course the Fitzroy, Sutherland and Woolwich dry docks.

This heritage is of great importance to the people of Sydney. Protecting convict and industrial heritage, conserving and interpreting military heritage and ensuring that new uses fit with the special qualities and heritage significance of buildings were all ranked highly by respondents to the Sites Unseen Exhibition.

To do this the Trust will:

  • Adopt the Burra Charter of Australia ICOMOS (1993) and the Australian Natural Heritage Charter (2002) for the assessment of cultural significance and natural significance and to guide the conservation of items of environmental heritage. The Natural Heritage Charter incorporates the Principles of Inter-generational Equity, Existence Value, Uncertainty and the Precautionary Principle
  • Prepare and implement Conservation Management Plans in consultation with the Australian Heritage Commission, for important items of environmental heritage prior to any works (including adaptive re-use proposals) other than routine maintenance or urgent stabilisation works
  • Respect the existing fabric and setting of a place and undertake the least possible intervention when undertaking any work involving an important item of environmental heritage
  • Undertake an archaeological assessment and recording before any work with the potential to impact on subsurface archaeology proceeds
  • Prepare best practice guidelines for all contractors requiring them to immediately stop work in the case of the unintentional discovery of archaeological relics
  • Conserve and interpret portable objects of environmental heritage in situ whenever possible. If objects have to be removed to allow essential conservation they will be fully documented before they are removed
  • Interpret the cultural heritage of the Trust sites in the most appropriate manner and in the context of the whole harbour
  • Work cooperatively with neighbouring land managers such as the NPWS and the Royal Australian Artillery National Museum, specialist groups such as the Small Ships Association and Friends of Cockatoo and the Trust's volunteers to interpret historic places such as the Middle Head and Georges Heights fortifications including access by the public
Adaptive Re-use of Places and Buildings

Fulfilment of the Trust's objectives and the desire to weave these formerly isolated sites back into the life of the city so that they enrich our understanding and appreciation of the harbour will require the adaptive re-use of the places and buildings. The Plan's aim is to ensure that the future uses and activities are "enhanced" by the nature and character of each place and that they reflect the sense of the place.

New uses will need to:

  • Enhance the character and heritage value of each place and its context. Whilst the heritage values may pose significant constraints, they also contribute to the identity of each site
  • Enhance and sustain desirable functions and characteristics of the harbour
  • Further the understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the harbour, its origins and the adaptation of human habitation in response to it
  • Contribute towards a mutually supportive mix of activities. The sense of place may generate a central idea, which provides the basis for identifying possible uses for a range of buildings and areas at one site
  • Provide opportunities for people to come and experience the lands and the harbour in ways that would otherwise not be available
  • Be compatible with the objective of maximising public access
  • Have minimal adverse impact on the environment and local amenity
  • Be consistent with Conservation Management Plans prepared for the place or building where the place or building has been identified as having significant heritage value
  • Where possible use existing buildings and facilities before considering the construction of new ones. The suitability of these structures for a range of possible uses is an important consideration

The relationship of each site with the other Trust sites, adjacent lands and the harbour needs to be reflected in the possible uses for each site. For example the Trust has several "mess" facilities all of which may be suitable as a reception centre, but it is unlikely that there is a demand for all of these facilities to be used in this way. The Trust will need to consider what makes a particular use more suitable at one site in preference to other sites.

In assessing future adaptive re-use of places or buildings, the suitability of potential uses for each site will be considered prior to the consideration of cost and revenue implications.

Removal of Buildings

There are in excess of 400 buildings and works within the plan area. The range of buildings is very wide. Some are rough-and-ready structures while others are iconic examples of environmental heritage significance. However, they all contribute to an understanding of the place - its history and operations.

The plan recognises that the sites have both natural and cultural values and that both have to be conserved and enhanced.

To achieve this the Trust will allow the sites to evolve gradually and so the only buildings identified in the plan for immediate removal are temporary structures and buildings that are of little heritage value and are a clear impediment to the planning vision for the area. An example of the latter is the One Commando Company buildings at Georges Heights.

The plan also recognises that although some buildings have little heritage value they are valuable community assets that can be used by community groups or leased to generate supplementary income to assist the Trust in the timely implementation of the plan.

Buildings and works will be removed where they:

  • Conflict with the planning vision for the land and
  • Have low heritage value; or
  • Impede the effective interpretation of the heritage and the place; or
  • Remain intrusive visually; or
  • Adversely impact on bush regeneration or the condition of the surrounding bush and
  • Have little potential to be put to a community use or to enhance the visitors' experience of the park, or to raise revenue for site improvements

The Trust will review the need to retain buildings which have been kept solely for income purposes 8 years after the date of approval of the plan.

Design Approach

The Trust lands vary from natural bushland to formal parade grounds surrounded by symmetrically arranged buildings. The Trust's approach to the urban design of these places will be to recognise and conserve their unique characteristics that distinguish them from the surrounding city. Planning for the future of the Trust lands can be approached in a number of ways: as areas of bushland and habitat, as places for both passive and active recreation, as the setting for groups of buildings and as distinct places defined by groups of buildings.

The starting point for the Trust's planning for a place or area is to look at what is there, why it is the way it is, what its values are and what it might be in the future. The full opportunity of the lands will only be realised by considering how all these aspects can work together.

Much of the character of the sites derives from their evolution. The sites have generally developed in a quite haphazard manner that is typical of many institutional and industrial establishments. There has not been an overall plan that has been gradually implemented. Rather, as the need for new buildings arose or new functions or processes were introduced, the topography, road layouts and precinct boundaries and fences have been modified to accommodate them.

Appreciation of the places is a sequential experience. This experience is made up of various elements from entry points, to constricted pathways and to points of open vistas or glimpses of distant destinations and panoramas that are gradually revealed.

Within the lands there are places that have a particular quality - of quietude or outlook. The character and qualities of the lands extend beyond their boundaries. The way the sites are approached from their immediate surroundings and from the rest of the city, the nature of the entry to the sites - the gateways, the spatial qualities of the sites; the way buildings are disposed on the site, the way roads and tracks have been laid out, all contribute to the quality of the place.

The Trust's design approach to pathways and tracks is to recognise these intrinsic qualities and then to articulate them further; for example by making the opening out of a view more dramatic or if a feeling of bushland is disrupted by intrusive elements, by their removal.

The layout of paths and roads for the industry and military that previously occupied the lands have a distinct pattern comprising single entry points for security which then branch to lead to the outer points. Arguably these same routes should be used to best appreciate the history and former function of the sites. On the other hand the location of paths for a park are quite different. They are along brinks, around foreshores, to lookouts or to facilities. In many instances they lead to the back of the precincts and buildings. It is important for building precincts to be defined so that they can be better appreciated and understood.

The Trust will need to introduce car parking, pathways and new areas of planting to make the sites more accessible and useable. However, the weaving of the Trust lands back into the life of the city does not mean simply extending the typical pattern of the surrounding development because this could destroy some of the most distinguishing characteristics of the sites. For example, to provide car parking immediately adjacent to buildings that it serves may destroy much of the aesthetic appeal and character of the place.

The pattern of development on the lands tends to have the actual buildings and "urban spaces" occupying only a small part of each site area. The edges of precincts and groups of buildings tend to be ragged and poorly defined. This has a detrimental impact on surrounding areas which are often bushland. Generally the Trust's approach will be to better define and restore the edges of these precincts by both rehabilitating the surrounding bushland and more clearly demarking the extent of the more formal landscape.

The adaptive re-use of these places must be done with care to retain their simplicity, sometimes harshness, quirkiness and haphazard qualities. The juxtaposition of buildings, the variety of plant species and odd leftover spaces that haven't been designed gives the places much of their atmosphere.

In the development of outcomes the Trust will:

  • Gain an understanding of the natural and cultural history of the places and the patterns they reveal to provide the basis for design
  • Regenerate the character of each place by developing a palette of planting, forms, materials and finishes based on an understanding of what is there
  • Allow for a gradual evolution of the lands
  • Avoid adverse impacts on the harbour landscape and protect the natural setting of the Trust lands
New Buildings

The primary objective of the Trust is conservation rather than redevelopment of these harbour lands. The Trust has a great number of buildings which are capable of being adaptively re-used and although there is generally little need for new buildings, some new buildings may be required or have considerable benefits. For example on Cockatoo Island where the primary significance and future direction of the island is to provide for maritime related activity.

Accordingly, the Trust will only consider the construction of a new building if it:

  • Is essential to the functional requirements of a desirable outcome and significantly improves the viability and synergy of uses
  • Has minimal visual, heritage and environmental impact
  • Re-establishes a desirable urban or building form or introduces a function of high civic/public significance and is of outstanding architectural design
  • Is consistent with Conservation Management Plans for the place where the place has been identified as having a significant conservation value
Access

The provision of public access to the Trust lands is a fundamental objective of the Trust's Act. It is also an intrinsic part of the Trust's ongoing planning process. The Trust lands have been cut off from the rest of the community for a long time by virtue of their defence role and so they are unfamiliar to most people - even people in their immediate neighbourhood.

The Trust is committed to providing access as part of the planning phases to enable the public to become familiar with the sites. This early access will be provided by pathways that can be constructed simply, events and open days.

Access should not merely provide a means of getting from one point to another. It should be carefully designed to provide a sequence of unfolding experiences. They must enable an appreciation of the setting, heighten the expectation, provide a sense of arrival, reveal many facets of a place, create vantage points, gathering areas and quiet, contemplative retreats along the way.

Access is also an important part of interpretation - retracing the historical routes into and through heritage places helps to understand how they functioned and enriches our experience.

To do this the Trust will:

  • Design longer-term access to link up with existing foreshore walks and pedestrian networks around the harbour. This will be done in collaboration with State Government agencies and neighbouring Local Councils
  • Collaborate with the NSW Government in the implementation of its "Sharing Sydney Harbour Access Program"
  • Consider the needs of people with impaired mobility and maximise opportunities for access in a manner consistent with the natural and cultural values of the places and buildings
  • Seek to continually improve existing amenity and access to the sites
  • The Trust lands also provide opportunities to increase access from the water for a range of activities such as:
    • Small boats to moor short term when visiting a site
    • Canoes, row boats or kayaks
    • Charter vessels for tours or functions
    • Possible future ferry services
    • Boat or barge launching ramps

The nature of the access will be determined by the capacity of each water frontage, its ecological values and vulnerability, its character and heritage and its compatibility with neighbouring uses and activities

Consultation and Communications

Community consultation and communication is integral to the development of the Plan. Importantly it is also critical to the future implementation of the Plan.

The community includes the broad community, special interest groups, non-government organisations, industry groups, professional associations and Local, State and Federal Governments. The Trust has been consulting with the community since the inception of the interim Trust and prior to a formal Community Advisory Committee being established.

The objective of the Trust is to develop an understanding of community expectations and concerns and to work closely with the community to ensure that the sites are planned and managed appropriately for the benefit of future generations.

In line with this objective, the Trust will:

  • Actively seek the involvement of all stakeholders and communities of interest
  • Communicate frequently through public meetings, events, newsletters and media with regard to the:
    • Trust
    • Planning process
    • Plan implementation and site management
  • Encourage the community to contribute ideas and concerns through the Community Advisory Committee, public workshops, forums, or direct contact with Trust staff
  • Ensure that sites are made accessible so that the community can appreciate their significance and provide informed comments
  • Be receptive to ideas and suggestions from the public, responding as quickly and clearly as possible
  • Ensure that all individuals and organisations with an interest in these sites will be encouraged to participate in the planning and management processes
  • Be fair and reasonable in all of its dealings with the public, regardless of whether the Trust is being supported or opposed
  • Take particular care to understand the views of those less able to articulate or present their ideas or proposals
  • Make publicly available all submissions made to the Trust through the Harbour Trust library
  • Make available to the community all non-confidential reports through the Harbour Trust library
  • Monitor, evaluate and continually improve its consultation and communication performance
  • Report annually on consultation and communication activities and performance

The Trust Act also requires that two board meetings per year are open to the public. As such, board meetings that are open to the public will be advertised in local newspapers and on the Trust website.

Education

Education is a powerful tool in encouraging both an appreciation of and a sense of ownership of the Trust sites. It is important that the Trust provides the widest possible audience with educative experiences of the sites that showcase their history, natural features and future directions. Providing an enhanced understanding and appreciation of the sites will instil a greater sense of community ownership.

In addressing the educational potential of its sites, the Trust will:

  • Develop and implement an Education Policy that will:
    • Showcase the unique features of the Trust sites
    • Encourage and inspire a sense of community ownership of and an enhanced appreciation of the Trust sites
    • Target identified formal and informal groups through guided and self-directed learning experiences
  • Consult from an early stage in the program's development with a broad range of formal education representatives including teachers, academics and NSW Curriculum Support Directorate staff
  • Consult and incorporate all relevant guidelines from NSW Curriculum documents and support material
  • Create a diverse range of formal educational opportunities including on-site visits, lecture programs, outreach programs and school competitions
  • Create a diverse and on-going range of informal and entertaining activities that draw on the 'sense of place' at each site
  • Enhance and adapt existing Harbour Trust tools and resources such as the website and Resource Centre to provide educational material and information on the program
  • Work collaboratively with other bodies, organisations and cultural institutions such as museums to create and host joint education programs
  • Develop and display informative interpretive signage on all sites, and produce publications that enable self-guided visits of the sites
  • Develop interpretive and educative tour programs in conjunction with other organisations, in particular NPWS
  • Encourage and provide on-going professional development for Staff, Volunteers, Tour Guides and prospective Teacher Guides to equip them with the necessary skills and latest information and technologies
  • Encourage and undertake research activities in collaboration with tertiary institutions, adjoining land managers, other authorities and local councils which assist in the understanding of the values of the sites. This includes emphasising the scientific research value of the sites

Open Space and Recreation

One of the most important roles of the harbour, its foreshores and islands is as a place of recreation for Sydney's residents and visitors. It offers a wonderful array of passive and active recreational opportunities.

Sydney is world famous for the beauty of its bushland and waterways. This setting is both unique and important in attracting international, national, regional and local visitors and business to the city. The provision of a network of open spaces providing a range of passive and active recreational opportunities is an essential component of the Trust's objective of maximising public access and of establishing a high quality park.

In providing open space and recreational facilities the Trust will:

  • Provide recreational opportunities that enhance the character and values of the locality and are sympathetic with the cultural and natural significance of the place
  • Ensure that the recreational facilities are available to the broad community of Sydney while still contributing to some of the needs of the local community
  • Promote co-operative management between the Trust and adjoining open space owners and managers
  • Manage recreational activities, including special events so that the cultural, natural and recreational values of the locality are not compromised
  • Improve public access to the harbour foreshores in locations where this will not diminish the environmental values of the foreshore
  • Maximise public access by constructing a network of walking tracks that do not compromise the sites' cultural and environmental values, provide a high standard of walking experience and which integrate with the walking track systems for neighbouring lands
  • Close and revegetate informal walking tracks where they can not be incorporated into the preferred network
  • Provide useable open space that is accessed by public transport, cycle ways and walkways
  • Connect new open spaces to the existing open space network
  • Design open spaces and walking tracks to retain, enhance and reveal views whilst maintaining and enhancing the views of the site from elsewhere
  • Enhance the diverse nature of the harbour through the provision of a range of open space and recreational areas such as picnic areas, small parks, children's playgrounds, boat launching facilities, scenic lookouts, community spaces and natural bushland that cater for a range of age groups and activities
  • Co-locate recreational facilities to allow for the shared use of services and facilities, such as parking and to encourage multi-purpose journeys
  • Ensure that organised group activities are managed to avoid conflicts and environmental impacts
  • Provide amenities such as picnic areas with appropriate furniture and signage facilities
Sporting Facilities

The Trust has a range of existing sporting facilities including ovals and fields at Middle Head, Georges Heights and North Head, gymnasiums and multi-purpose courts. Some of these facilities such as the ovals at Middle Head and Georges Heights are currently used by a broad range of sporting groups and schools. The Trust proposes that these facilities will be retained and enhanced and will continue to be available for community use. Others such as the oval at North Head and some of the built facilities will be reviewed.

In some cases, new or upgraded sporting facilities may be suitable to achieve the objective of maximising public access, providing a diversity of activities, or may have considerable community benefits. Public access may be maximised by providing sporting facilities in addition to those that already exist.

Although in general, there is little need, or justification to develop new sporting facilities when our priority is to protect, conserve and interpret the environmental values and heritage values of the Trust lands and to enhance the amenity of the Sydney Harbour region, the Trusts' priority is also to maximise public access to the Trust lands and to establish and manage parklands.

Accordingly, the Trust will only consider new sporting facilities, whether using new or existing buildings where they:

  • Are compatible with the physical capacity of the site
  • Are compatible with the overall objectives and planning direction for the site, including the protection, conservation and interpretation of the sites
  • Can be integrated into the overall landscape design as attractive open spaces when not being used for sports activities
  • Complement the network of paths and access routes and improve or provide linkages between existing sporting facilities on Trust lands and in the vicinity
  • Enhance the visual connections and continuity between parkland areas
  • Have minimal negative visual, heritage and environmental impact
  • Provide equity of access to all appropriate user groups
  • Are co-located, where possible, to allow for shared use of essential services such as parking and amenities
Tourism

Tourism New South Wales has identified Sydney Harbour as vital to Sydney's role as an international tourist destination. Similarly the NSW Tourism Task Force identified Sydney Harbour as "Australia's No. 1 tourism asset". The Task Force also identified tourism as being of enormous importance to the economy of NSW and Australia.

Experiences on and around the harbour are core to the itineraries of most visitors. Of the 2.6 million international visitors to NSW in 1996, almost half took a harbour cruise with even more visiting specific harbour sites such as the Opera House.

With increasing numbers of visitors there are opportunities to improve the harbour experience and the attraction of Sydney as a tourist destination.

The Trust lands are of interest to both residents and visitors because of their rich colonial, maritime and defence history, their potential to provide access to and views of the harbour, and for their bushland environment. Bringing the Trust lands back into the life of the city, making the land available for the enjoyment of the community and enhancing the amenity of the harbour will contribute greatly to the experience of visitors.

The potential to adaptively re-use some of the former defence buildings for accommodation and tourist related activities will also contribute to the diversity and vitality of tourism.

In addressing the tourism potential of the its sites the Trust will:

  • Develop a cultural tourism strategy that is consistent with the International Cultural Tourism Charter: Managing Tourism at Places of Heritage Significance (1999) and the Australian Heritage Commission's "Successful Tourism at Heritage Places (2001)"
  • Ensure that the sites provide for improved access to the harbour edge or water, allowing more people to have access as well as an enhanced appreciation of these places
  • Encourage visitors to explore the full range of experiences that are available on the Trust sites
  • Integrate the opportunities for maximising views of the harbour and other significant points of interest. Retain views to and from significant features of the area and enhance the amenity of Sydney Harbour
  • Provide access and linkages to and between other key tourist sites such as Taronga Zoo and Balmoral beach, whilst contributing to some of the missing links in the regional harbour walks
  • Explore the opportunities for themed tours of the harbour such as the fortifications and convict sites, in collaboration with other agencies like NPWS
  • Establish and encourage active public places and harbour gatherings with special views of the harbour. Appropriate Trust lands should be used as a stage for major festivals and public expressions, providing a variety of year-round experiences
  • Provide opportunities for "back of house" operations for cruise ships, ferries, marinas and charter vessels at the Trust's working harbour sites - Cockatoo Island and Woolwich Dock
  • Provide opportunities and supporting facilities for visitors to experience and understand a wide range of working harbour activities and the cultural heritage precincts at Cockatoo Island and Woolwich Dock
  • Implement management practices to ensure tourism pressures do not adversely impact on sensitive areas and activities are complementary to the character and significance of the buildings and bushland
Working Harbour

Working Harbour includes a variety of land and water based activities vital to the viability of maritime industries and important to the NSW and national economies. The diversity of working harbour activities in Sydney Harbour include facilities for ports, maritime repairs, commercial waterfront contractors, recreational boating, commercial tourism, Naval Defence and maritime support services.

The harbour has an "industrial ecology" as well as a natural ecology that is of great importance both as part of Sydney's cultural heritage and because of its contribution to Sydney's economy. Cockatoo Island has been the harbour focus for shipbuilding and repairs - both naval and commercial, as well as technological achievement for over 100 years. Similarly the dockyard at Woolwich has had a long history in both commercial and defence maritime industry. These two sites retain much of their industrial infrastructure including three of the four remaining large graving docks in Sydney Harbour.

In 1998 the State Government commissioned two independent studies into the needs of maritime industry in Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River. These studies suggested that the demand for waterfront land by a range of maritime industries would grow steadily over the next 20 years and that demand would generally be greater than supply. As a consequence the State Minister for Transport identified thirteen publicly owned sites - including Cockatoo Island, Woolwich Dock and Chowder Bay, as working harbour maritime precincts that should be kept.

The Trust supports the State's policy and believes that the adaptation of Cockatoo Island and Woolwich to current maritime industry requirements is an important objective that has the potential to contribute to economic development and employment by underpinning the revival of maritime industry and supporting tourism. It would also help people to interpret and understand the cultural heritage values of the places.

However, the future success of Cockatoo Island as a place for maritime industry will be largely dependent on the provision of a land base that is accessible by heavy trucks and that allows for cost effective barge access to the island. The original land base for Cockatoo Island was located near the Iron Cove Bridge and has now been redeveloped for housing. The location of appropriate land bases is an issue that needs to be resolved on a whole of harbour basis. It is a requirement that is common to all of the harbour's islands as well as many harbour front sites. It is critical that the remaining land bases that are linked to the regional road network are reserved. It is also important that there is a geographic spread of bases so that the impact is shared equitably and that access to the bases is through non-sensitive environments and provides cost effective travel time.

In addressing the implementation of the Working Harbour concept the Trust will:

  • Work with the Sydney Harbour Executive and appropriate State Government agencies to identify both the strategic role that Cockatoo Island and Woolwich Dock play as part of the working harbour concept and appropriate land bases
  • Contribute to the supply of land for waterfront industry to ensure that commercial and recreational boating industries are not squeezed out of the harbour by competing uses
  • Determine how the waterfront lands should be used to assist in the long-term viability of activities that contribute to the life and vitality of the harbour. A range of other complementary uses that contribute to diversity on the waterfront will also be investigated
  • Safeguard the amenity of surrounding residential areas by ensuring that the environmental practices of the proposed uses (which may include measures to mitigate noise or other impacts) and their hours of operations, are appropriate for their location
  • Integrate public access and tourist visitation with working harbour activities where this is consistent with the statutory requirements for occupational, health and safety and does not impose undue constraints on work operations. Where possible, barriers between the working harbour activities and adjacent public areas should be minimised
Funding and Management of Leases

The Trust is responsible for an extensive array of built and natural assets. On-going conservation of these assets and public access to them will be assisted by adaptive re-use and leasing of some of these properties. Funding generated by these sources is essential to assist in the economic viability of the Trust and will enable it to carry out other works of public benefit.

The generation of funds through management and leasing of the Trust assets is a sensitive process.

In order to ensure that management of commercial leases and the generation of funds through the use of Trust assets are carried out in a publicly transparent and consistent manner, the Trust will:

  • Develop a Leasing Policy that is compatible with the goals and objectives of the Trust and offers leasing of premises through a publicly transparent and competitive process
  • Ensure commercial leases and other funding generating activities are drawn from the nature and character of the place and assist in the enhancement of the character and heritage value of each place and its context
  • Ensure commercial activities are compatible with provision of public access
  • Maintain generally market-based rentals and use terms, whilst permitting some community groups to occupy buildings at rental less than full market rates utilising a contestable process
  • Ensure funding pressures do not adversely impact on sensitive areas and are complementary to the character and significance of the buildings and bushland
Conflicting Policy Objectives

On any one site, a number of the overarching objectives and policies will be relevant. Depending on the proposal put forward to implement outcomes, there is the likelihood that conflict will arise between different policies.

The Trust will set up a process that enables either a balance to be struck or a priority to be determined between any conflicting policies and the outcomes recommended for a particular site in the Plan. This process will be set up to ensure conflicting policies are dealt with in a transparent and consistent manner.

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