2014 Revised Draft Plan of Management for Sandon Point and McCauley’s Beach Public Exhibition for Further Comment
Consultation has concluded
Any person may comment on the 2014 revised draft Plan of Management for Sandon Point and McCauley’s Beach by writing a submission.
Submissions close 5 pm, 10 October 2014
How has the draft PoM been revised?
Changes in the Revised Draft Plan of Management for Sandon Point and McCauley’s Beach are in accordance with the 23 June 2013 Council resolution and report to Council regarding submissions received concerning the first draft PoM.
Generally, the revised draft PoM has been reorganised and simplified, while still keeping the Values approach in the area’s future management by Council. The revised draft PoM consolidates volumes 1, 2 and 4 (the former Plan of Management, Access Plan and Sandon Point Aboriginal Place Management Plan) into one plan. Volume 3, concerning vegetation management, no longer forms part of the revised draft PoM. Council encourages the public to read the revised PoM in its entirety.
Within the revised draft PoM, there have been changes regarding permissible uses/developments/licenses in relation to Sandon Point Surf Club and Sandon Point Tent Embassy (SPATE). The surf club has requested the ability to consider future building expansion in the next 10 – 20 years and references to SPATE options 1 – 4 have been removed with more information about SPATE’s purposes has been added.
Aboriginal Cultural uses and developments which support the values of the Sandon Point Aboriginal Place are permissible under the revised draft PoM and it is appropriate that they are defined and managed by the Aboriginal community in culturally appropriate ways that are determined by the Aboriginal community in a co-management framework with Wollongong City Council.
Changes to the Access Plan include providing an access point type (either designated or formalised) to identify the type of future track upgrade or maintenance. There are now 14 identified access points to the beach, instead of the previous 17 because either the slope is too great for cost effective construction and maintenance or its use at high tide is not advisable. Additionally, the whale watching and surf viewing platforms and proposed upgrade of the pedestrian bridge have been removed, while strategies to better manage limited vehicle use of the shared path have been added. Changes to the management strategies for the Sandon Point Aboriginal Place have been made as a result of NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) feedback relating to when an Aboriginal Heritage Impact Permit (AHIP) is required under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 legislation.
Supplemental Materials
As a consequence of the PoM being simplified to focus on legislatively required elements, information about the PoM area and its relationship with the surrounding area over time has been moved to a Supplemental Materials document. This supplemental information is provided in response to the community’s desire to continue an ongoing discussion about the wider Sandon Point area that has been the subject of many Land and Environment Court cases over the last 15 years. The surrounding areas are a mix of recently developed residential lots and natural areas with a history that has shaped how the PoM area is currently used. The information does not form part of the PoM but may assist in the public’s consideration of the contents of the revised draft PoM.
Vegetation Management
The previous volume 3, the Revegetation and Restoration Plan, has been simplified as a stand-alone operational Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) and removed from the draft PoM. The changes to volume 3 are consistent with Council’s development process for other operational Vegetation Management Plans such as the Vegetation Management Plan for Hargraves Creek in Stanwell Park. Council endorsed this approach at its 23 June 2014 meeting after considering all submissions regarding vegetation management during the exhibition of the first draft PoM.
The VMP It is available to be downloaded from Council’s website for information purposes only, is not on exhibition for public comment. The VMP identifies what plants can be planted by Council staff, Council contractors (such as the Illawarra Local Aboriginal Land Council), and volunteers (such as the Sandon Point and McCauley’s Beach Bushcare group) within the area. The VMP has been simplified, focuses on weed reduction to assist natural regeneration and excludes tall plants from plant eligibility lists. The VMP seeks to maintain the current mix of open and vegetated areas and protect the identified Ecologically Endangered Communities.
How to make a submission
You can make a submission in the following ways:
- Fill in the online submission form below.
- Email council@wollongong.nsw.gov.au
- Write to The General Manager, Locked Bag 8821, Wollongong DC NSW 2500