Parks & Playgrounds Movement Inc. 46th Annual Report 1998

Parks & Playgrounds Movement Inc.

46th Annual Report 1998

Stockton Bight National Park proposal

Water Reserves in Port Stephens

Nine Mile Beach and Jewells Wetland

Wallarah Peninsula Lake Macquarie

Hexham Wetlands and Hunter River Estuary

Fame Cove, and Mount Karuah

Northern Shores of Port Stephens

Coal River Historic Site

Dear friends and colleagues,

I have pleasure in presenting the 46^th Annual Report of the Parks and Playgrounds Movement.

The Movement was incorporated this year under the Associations Incorporation Act of 1984. We adopted the Model Rules for incorporation with an annexure stating the name Parks and Playgrounds Movement Incorporated, the objectives, and membership of the Movement and other clauses governing non-profit organisations, winding up and amalgamation. Our registered number is Y2828306.

The Movement was brought to Newcastle by the late Tom Farrell our former Patron in 1952. Tom had been a member of the Parks and Playgrounds Movement of NSW whose Secretary was C E W Bean the historian lawyer and journalist. The NSW Movement was established in the early thirties in Sydney but it has not functioned for many years. The Newcastle organisation was called the Northern Parks and Playgrounds Movement.

We need to proclaim our Environmental Manifesto for the State Election next year.

That the promised Stockton Bight National Park be proclaimed and dedicated,
That the natural values of the Hunter Water Corporation lands at Port Stephens be protected.
That the Nine Mile Beach and Jewells Coastal Wetlands be proclaimed and added to the Lake Macquarie State Recreation Area.
That the State Government reconstitute the Wallarah Peninsula Urban Buffer Zone between Wyong and Lake Macquarie and that the Munmorah SRA be extended to Swansea.
That proposed Mt. Karuah & Fame Cove reserves on the northern shores of Port Stephens be dedicated.
That the extension of Kooragang Island Nature Reserve be proclaimed and the ventilation of the Hexham Swamps be carried out forthwith.
That the Coal River Historic Site be established at Newcastle to. Celebrate the Founding of Newcastle and our Aboriginal, Convict, Military, Maritime and Mining Heritage and that the Site include Nobbys Is., Macquarie Pier, the Convict Lumber Yard and Fort Scratchley and the Convict mining area beneath the Fort

These proposals are all of state significance and each has been outstanding for more than twenty years.

Stockton Bight National Park proposal

The Stockton Bight National Park proposal is probably the most urgent outstanding conservation proposal in the lower Hunter. The area proposed is of high conservation value and National Park status is needed to protect the outstanding scenic coastal ecosystem, unique sand barrier and dune field as well as Newcastle’s ground water reserves. The Carr Government’s failure to resolve the Aboriginal Land claim over part of the area and gazette the park as promised in his Government’s first term is a bitter disappointment for the conservation movement. The ALP objected strongly to the Coalition’s proposal before the election to gazette the area as a 5,000ha Crown Reserve. That would have been at least been a start. Labor has done nothing.

The National Park will give the most secure title for the protection of the Bight when gazetted.

The Stockton Bight park proposal only affects those areas of vacant crown land of conservation value and the water reserves along the Bight. The proposal included the most southern water reserve near the Howship Holding property that has been targeted for their sewerage disposal area. We also want the publicly owned natural areas adjacent to the rifle range and the Fort Wallace ultimately in the National Park.

We have continued our representations on this matter to no avail and a renewed effort by everyone is absolutely essential if their is to be any realistic conservation outcome for the Stockton Bight. Are we going to just let the conservation value of the area be destroyed by indecision or plundered by subdivision sand extraction and mining? Stockton Bight National Park is a regional treasure and magic place that should be dedicated now.

Water Reserves in Port Stephens

Our policy is that the surface land to all the Water Reserves in Port Stephens should be held by the National Parks and Wildlife Service under the Minister for the Environment. All installations and facilities should be managed by a Plan of Management under the National Parks Act to give security to the wildlife habitat and protection to the catchment and the sand bed water reserves.

Nine Mile Beach and Jewells Wetland

Nine Mile Beach and Jewells Wetland together with the Belmont Lagoon are important coastal conservation proposals in the City of Lake Macquarie and should ultimately be managed within the Lake Macquarie State Recreation Area.
It is essential that action be started to achieve this aim immediately. The old expressway easement zoning cutting through the wetlands must be removed from the next Lake Macquarie Plan LEP and all the public lands in the area that have conservation significance must be consolidated and vested in the Parks Service.

This would mean that the water corporation land, the Roads & Traffic land and the Lake Macquarie Council land and the vacant Crown Land within the Jewells area should be gazetted in the SRA as soon as possible.

It is important that a start be made to gazette the area so that it can be subject to a statutory Plan of Management and be able to withstand the sort of urban pressure that will come early next century.

The BHP land is different it was rutile mined in the fifties and sixties and partly restored with bitou bush and tee tree mainly. All the fore dunes were removed and the hind dunes reshaped in the mining process and to add insult to injury sand extraction companies began removing the restored areas leaving behind extensive flat sand pits. The BHP did not require the sand extraction company Boral to restore the areas that they had worked. Boral has now moved to Port Stephens and is removing the ancient wooded high dunes on their land at Fern Bay off Coxs Lane. Members will recall that they were operating in that area for some years without a valid consent or an EIS being prepared. Our actions resulted in these matters be considered.

All the land holdings of the BHP in NSW should be assessed by the NSW Government and the Department of Planning to obtain an overview. The BHP is disposing of its holdings and a practical plan for a trade off agreement for development and remediation of lands should be made. In the Nine Mile Beach area the major part of the land should be made over for inclusion in the Lake Macquarie SRA.

Wallarah Peninsula Lake Macquarie

With respect to the Wallarah Peninsula the one dollar per year lease of the ocean front at Pinny Beach to the Gordon Companies has now been renewed for the new owner. The State Government must be condemned for not revoking the $1 per Year lease and for extending it for the new owners. The Labor Government has no excuse for extending the problems created by the former Greiner Minister Mr Hay.

Extensive conservation and park zones are necessary on both sides of the peninsula and the extension of the Munmorah SRA along the ocean front to Caves Beach is needed. The Lake Macquarie SRA should acquire title over the Crangan Bay area before it is further debilitated. Crangan Bay was the only undisturbed bay in Lake Macquarie when we took Pam Allan on an inspection tour in the early 90’s. These areas are integral parts of the Lake Macquarie National Park and SRA proposals. The Lake Munmorah and power station land at the southern end of Lake Macquarie are subjected to the overwhelming impact by mining and the power generation industry and for ash disposal dams.

If the Conservation Movement fails to get its act together by the end of the decade, there will be little opportunity for handing on the environment that people of our age have enjoyed to the next generation.

The next century presents a very bleak view from the environmental perspective.

Fame Cove, and Mount Karuah Northern
Shores of Port Stephens

The proposed parkland reserves at Fame Cove Mountain, Mount Karuah and Corrie Island on the northern Shores of Port Stephens should have been set aside as reserves years ago.

At Fame Cove the National Parks and Wildlife Service hold title to a 45ha parcel of land at Fame Point which is dedicated as part of the Myall Lakes National Park. The adjacent four portions of the Fame Cove area are wooded and in much the same condition as it was when it was granted to the Australian Agricultural Company in 1848. Fame Cove Mountain (Height 468ft) is the most prominent feature and enfolds around the pristine Fame Cove. The Cove has deep water and is the most protected anchorage in Port Stephens.

The title was held in the name of Blue Metal Industries Limited (Boral Transport Ltd.) and a transfer to Mr J.G. St Pier 10% and J.F.K. St Pier 90% as tenants in common was being registered at the Land Titles Office of NSW at the time we made our title search. We immediately asked the Minister the Hon Pam Allan to register a caveat on the title and begin negotiation for the acquisition of the full area so that it can be added the Service’s 45ha at Fame Point. As usual, nothing was done, just a few positive noises. The transfer is now complete and a subdivision into 10 rural holdings is before the council for approval.

The total area is 400ha of high conservation value land that is eminently suitable for inclusion in the National Park Estate. The Port Stephens Council and the Great Lakes Councils should both make a contribution to the acquisition of the area that can be matched by the Federal and State Governments.

Hexham Wetlands and Hunter River Estuary

Hexham Swamp is the largest coastal wetlands in NSW and an essential ecological unit in the Hunter River estuary. It contains freshwater wetland and estuarine areas and is a diverse habitat supporting a wide range of native plants and animals It is a nursery ground for fish and other estuarine life. Six species of migratory wading birds inhabit the wetland including the internationally protected Red-necked Stint, the Eastern Curlew and the Grey Tailed Tattler .

The natural tidal ventilation of Ironbark Creek and Hexham Swamp was halted in 1972 when the Ironbark Creek floodgates were constructed. This has caused the natural ecology of the wetland and estuarine areas to be severely affected.

The 1972 PWD EIS proposed tidal ventilation to be maintained by manipulation of the flood gates but this was never carried out. The debilitation of the estuarine and wetland areas has contributed greatly to the demise of the viability of the estuary fishing and prawning industry.

The Hunter Catchment Management Trust prepared a Management Strategy for the whole of the Ironbark Creek drainage catchment and has budgeted $100,000. Dollars this year to purchase land that may be impacted by the reintroduction of tidal ventilation into the swamp. Promises were made at the recent election by the Federal Minister for the Environment and will need to be checked.

The national environmental significance of the Hexham Swamp Catchment make it imperative that the Commonwealth take a leading role in funding the Hexham Swamps Rescue Strategy.

We have had a long standing commitment to the proper management of these wetlands and of the Hunter River Estuary and have made numerous submissions and representations since 1968 when we first became concerned at the impact of reclamation and drainage on the health of the marine environment.

The Hunter Total Catchment Management Trust is to be congratulated on the development of the Management Strategy for the whole Ironbark Creek drainage catchment which aims to rehabilitate the swamps and make recommendations for the tidal exchange in the Ironbark Creek. These proposals have the wide support of the community and of the peak .environmental groups in NSW.

Coal River Historic Site

The Movement first proposed the Historic Site in 1969 and it was taken up by the National Trust when we brought the Trust to the Hunter with the establishment of the Trust’s Landscape Committee. That Committee published the Hunter 2000 document in 1972 and the Newcastle East Supplement which included our Historic Site proposal. We want the Coal River Historic Site established under the National Parks Act and we want it to include Nobbys, Macquarie Pier, Fort Scratchley and the convict coal mining area beneath the fort as well as the Convict Lumber Yard.

These areas are all closely associated with the establishment of Newcastle and they provide tangible evidence and archaeological insight into our convict and coal mining heritage. They form an essential historic focus for the Newcastle and the Hunter Region.

It is now more urgent that ever that more people understand the Historic Site and work for its establishment.

The Historic Site if proclaimed, could attract professional management and recurrent funding so that it can achieve its potential as a tourist educational and recreational resource for the bicentenary of the establishment of the convict settlement Newcastle 2004.

Last year we lost the opportunity to make this gain and the celebration of Shortland’s discovery of the Hunter River and of winnable coal was a dismal affair.

The Newcastle Council is currently considering the acquisition of the Fort from the Commonwealth but it should be asking that the title be acquired by the State Government and leased back to the City if needed. Surplus Defence Department land at Sydney Harbour, Adamstown and Stockton should also be held by the State under the National Park Legislation. It could then be leased to the various groups or authorities under the terms of an adopted plan of management.

Your management committee has worked hard on this crucial manifesto.

We also conducted a workshop in conjunction with the Newcastle Civic Association on a Community Perspective on Planning for Newcastle’s Future. Another workshop was held in response to the State Government’s paper on Public Participation and we thank Helen Smith and her helpers for the outcome from that workshop.

There were many other issues to which we had to respond throughout the year:

Proposal of Newcastle City Council to sell parkland at Mayfield and at New Lambton Heights.
Proposal of the Port Stephens Council to subdivide RAF Park at Tanilba.
Planning matters re Honeysuckle and the problems of public access to the Waterfront and the need for proper openspace zoning and a detailed plan for the foreshore and public domain.
Once again action had to be taken to save the old Adamstown Rifle Range land. The Adamstown people were lucky to have an active group of residents led by John Davies.- action is still pending.
We worked hard on the Steel River Project and tried to keep the public aware of the issues involved.
The Movement made many submissions in an effort to see that the Wheeler Place plan was revised. I think we were vindicated in our approach even if we were unsuccessful. The efforts must now be turned to finding uses for the almost $3million dollar space.(If only that money could have been wisely spent).
The Movement gave evidence at the Liquor Administration Board hearings held at Belmont Court and made submissions to the Ombudsman regarding the handling of the public access to Queens Wharf.
The Port Corporation’s Nobbys Helicopter proposal even though it is not really required is still claiming our time and if the Minister is not prepared to hold an inquiry we will have to appeal this designated development to the Land and Environment Court.
A detailed submission was prepared for the Standing Committee on State Development and evidence given to the hearings held in Newcastle. We made a plea for the establishment of an Environmental Development Fund that can be used to acquire conservation lands in the region.
Objections made to the rezoning of rural land for twin service centre and the F3 connection at Weakley’s Drive. The need is ultimately for a grade separated full interchange at Beresfield so that freeway traffic doesn’t conflict with local traffic. Remember it is the Movement that got the expressway out of Blackbutt Reserve (Aug. 1966) and has continuously campaigned for the freeway west of the Lake to Beresfield.

It is hard to imagine how bad the Newcastle environment would have been without the Parks and Playgrounds Movement and the future isn’t worth thinking about if we cant get our manifesto implemented.

I must thank my colleagues for the work help and encouragement through this most difficult year.

Doug Lithgow President

Parks and Playgrounds Movement Inc.
27^th November 1998

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Douglas Lithgow
Parks & Playgrounds Movement Inc