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ACTIVE COMMUNITY TEAM - POSITION ON DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ZONES - HELENSBURGH - 1992
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Support the proposed environment protection zones for land currently zoned non-urban in Helensburgh.
2. Extend the Illawarra Escarpment State Recreation Area from the Hacking River Catchment to connect with the Royal National Park - so as to permanently protect the bushland between Sydney & Wollongong.
3. Support urban expansion through urban consolidation within the existing urban zones where potentially adverse environmental impacts are minimised.
4. The proposed environment protection zones should ensure that existing bushland is maintained and preferably lead to restoration & regeneration.
5. Maintenance, enhancement and extension of the Environment Protection Zone 7(d)- Hacking.
6. The establishment of the proposed environment protection zones should assist future steps to ensure that all discharges, including stormwater discharges, into the Hacking River comply with the Protected Waters standard.
7. In the future these proposed environment protection zones, along with all natural lands in the Hacking River catchment, should be considered for inclusion into the Royal National Park.
8. Adoption of these proposed environment protection zones should ensure protection of existing wildlife corridors, in particular the corridor linking the Illawarra Escarpment to the Royal National Park.
SUBMISSION BY ACT TEAM ON DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ZONES - HELENSBURGH BACKGROUND
It is considered that the establishment of the environment protection zones will support the State Government's policy on urban consolidation by limiting the expansion of the urban area of Helensburgh. Future expansion should be via infill or consolidation within the existing Residential 2(a) zoning, maintaining the village character of Helensburgh. Such village character refers not only to the surrounding bushland and rural "feel", but also a sociological aspect, ie a sense of belonging and also of "looking out" for each other.
Protection of these areas should alleviate the concerns raised by residents at public meetings conducted in Helensburgh, Otford, Stanwell Tops and Stanwell Park (in preparation for the LEP 38 revision) that the escarpment rim is not sufficiently well protected and that it should become part of the Illawarra Escarpment State Recreation Area (CANS 1989).
The Royal National Park is one of world's oldest, and is also one of Australia's most important conservation reserves. The diverse plant communities (rainforests, dunefields, wetlands, heaths) are scientifically important habitats containing many rare plants (NPWS 1985).
IMPORTANCE OF THE ROYAL NATIONAL PARK
The Royal National Park is important for the following reasons:
1. Each year millions of visitors use the Royal National Park as visitors are allowed to enter under special conditions, for inspirational, educative, cultural and recreative purposes (IUCN 1969 in NPWS 1979).
2. The Helensburgh area is regarded as one of most scenic parts of the NSW coastline.
3. The NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service undertook a resource investigation of the Upper Hacking River Catchment and found a diverse array of flora and fauna, including several species considered rare or endangered in NSW (NPWS 1985).
4. The valleys below Helensburgh cradle rainforest of a diversity and complexity which can be seen nowhere else around Sydney. Subtropical rainforests in the Hacking River are scientifically important because some 75% of the Illawarra subtropical rainforest had been destroyed by 1985. The Hacking River is the only site where subtropical rainforest occurs on Narrabeen Shales. The rainforests in the gullies around Helensburgh are generally larger and better in structure than those in the Royal National Park (DEP 1985).
5. The forests of the Hacking River Valley are the last refuge in the Sydney region of the Mountain Possum, a rare subspecies of Greater Glider, Red Necked Wallaby and Powerful Owl (NPWS 1985).
6. The forests of the upper Hacking River catchment link the Royal National Park with the Illawarra Escarpment and Water Board catchments areas (Robinson 1977).
CONCERN FOR IMPACTS OF NOT ADOPTING PROPOSED ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION ZONES & SUBSEQUENT POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT
It is of considerable concern that any potential for urban expansion of Helensburgh beyond the existing town boundaries will further substantially threaten the ecosystem of the Royal National Park in a number of ways:
1. Degraded Water Quality
Sediments and suspended solids, such as organic matter, plant nutrients (in particular nitrogen & phosphorus), grease & oils, metals, pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers, noxious & exotic plant seeds & propagules, will be carried down from the catchment waterways resulting in discoloured water, odours, algal blooms, and weed infested riverbanks. These all indicate water pollution (Binnie & Partners 1990).
2. Soil Erosion
The Helensburgh area is located on Hawkesbury Sandstone and Narrabeen Shales. These soils, in combination with the high intensity rainfall and steep terrain, are susceptible to severe soil erosion when the vegetative cover is disturbed. Re-establishment of the vegetative cover has proven to be difficult (SRA experience with Metropolitan & Stanwell Park Slip areas).
3. Increased Siltation of Waterways
Removal of vegetation cover results in increased transportation of soil particles. These particles will be deposited in slow flowing water, as found in deep ponds and immediately upstream of causeways. This deposition, or siltation, will lead to the Hacking River becoming more shallow, smothering riverbed habitat and extensive growth of emergent vegetation along the waterways (Binnie & Partners 1990). This will result in a simplified natural ecosystem, due to loss of native species diversity and a reduction in recreation amenity downstream in areas such as Audley.
4. Downstream Flooding
Greater urban runoff due to the expansion of hard impermeable surfaces, combined with the increased siltation of the waterways will result in increased occurences and magnitude of downstream flooding. This is of particular concern to both Otford residents and those who consider the preservation of the downstream Hacking River environment to be paramount.
5. Bushland Degraded
The urban-bushland interface is an area traditionally degraded by human activity : hazard reduction control burning, firetrails, use of herbicides and pesticides, dumping of rubbish and garden refuse. These activities increase the area directly affected by urbanisation.
6. Weed Invasion
Weeds will invade the surrounding environment at the urban-bushland interface, where soil is exposed or disturbed, and in riparian habitat. Weed species propagules take advantage of the high nutrients, altered light and moisture regimes, as well having the potential to further spread throughout the Royal National Park via the Hacking River. This will result in altered habitats and ecosystems within the Royal National Park. The declared noxious weeds blackberry, lantana and pampas grass are already established in the headwaters of the Hacking River. "Urban Local Governments like Wollongong City Council have traditionally had a poor record complying with statutory requirements of noxious weed control." (WCC Corporate Services Committee Rec 11 - 14/12/92, p45)
7. Severed Wildlife Corridors
The science of ecology has shown both the existence and importance of the interrelationships between wildlife and habitat. Mammal species may cease to inhabit reserves should they become small isolated areas (Robinson 1977). There is a need for a system of corridors to enable mammal movements between reserves and other areas of significant biological value. Thus the existing links between the Royal National Park and the Illawarra Escarpment should not be severed.
8. Increased Wildlife Kills
An increase in urbanisation will result in more traffic movements, incidences of fire (controlled and unplanned) and numbers of feral and domestic animals. These factors, combined with reduced habitat area and the isolation of wildlife habitat, will have a devastating effect on wildlife. The potential introduction of various diseases, eg enteric, also needs due consideration.
9. Combined Effects of Various Development Proposals
It is necessary to consider all development proposals with potential impacts on this section of the Royal National Park and the Illawarra Escarpment. Such development proposals in the past have included:
Cabins at Kelly's Falls, Stanwell Tops
Stanwell Park Small Community Sewerage
Coal Washery Refuse Emplacement at Stuart's Gully, Helensburgh
Kembla Coal & Coke's Northcliff Overland Coal Conveyor
State Rail Authority Remedial Works, Illawarra Line.
It might be inferred by some that each of these development proposals in themselves may not have a large impact on the integrity of the Royal National Park and the Illawarra Escarpment. Nevertheless the ACT Team believes that WHEN SUCH DEVELOPMENTS ARE CONSIDERED IN COMBINATION, the impacts are no longer proportional, BUT COMPOUNDED.
ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN CONSERVATION ISSUES
The ACT Team agrees with Dr Bruce Davis, former chairman Australian Heritage Commission, in his observation in 1986 at the Seminar on Local Government and the National Estate. Councils are the front line defenders in the struggle to preserve Australia's heritage, although this is not a role that has been consciously chosen. We further recognise that this role may not have been necessarily embraced, however it is the responsibility for development control that must be acknowledged and addressed by Councils.
The ACT Team notes the past failings of Council to effectively police or prevent various acts of environmental vandalism in areas under its control:
1. Although the Wollongong City Council Tree Preservation Order is hailed as exemplary (SPCC 1989) few prosecutions have been successful. That there have been problems with enforcing the legislation has been acknowledged by Wollongong City Council Planning Officers (IEC 1990). Previous experience has demonstrated an unwillingness or inability to pursue prosecutions to a successful conclusion (tree clearing in Otford and Point St, Bulli). The ACT Team acknowledges and applauds council action in scrutinising more carefully any development applications which threaten trees.
2. Councils are responsible for enforcing control of noxious weeds, on public and private land, however this receives low priority. Action is seldom taken to deal with declared noxious weeds such as blackberry, lantana and pampas grass (NPAC 1985), all of which are established in the Helensburgh urban area.
3. Pollution has occurred as a result of overflows from the Metropolitan Colliery coalwash pond into Camp Creek (DEP 1985, Short et al 1990).
4. Numerous community complaints regarding air pollution from Kembla Coal & Coke's Coalcliff coke works.
5. Pollution of waterways from leachate emanating from garbage tip at Helensburgh (SPCC 1989).
6. The water quality of the Hacking River has diminished in recent years (SPCC 1989), with bacteria levels being too high for swimming in some areas.
7. Previous experience have shown the inadequacies of the protection afforded by Council's former Environment Protection Living 7(g) zoning. These concerns were validated by the Land & Environment Court, eg MILTONBROOK 7(g) Lands in Fords Rd, Thirroul.
CONCLUSION
For the above reasons the ACT Team considers that the adoption of the proposed environment protection zones will prevent such environmental vandalism occurring in this area in the future.
As "the highest competent authority of the country has taken steps to prevent or eliminate ...... exploitation ..... " of the land reserved in the Royal National Park then Council's responsibility must be to respect such "ecological, geomorphological or aesthetic features which have led to its establishment" (IUCN 1969 in NPWS 1979). Council is demonstrating its commitment to meeting this responsiblity by establishing these environment protection zones.
This stand is further supported by the former minister Paul Landa, when he recognised that in response to the pressures of modern life people have an increased need for open space and natural areas in which to spend their leisure time (NPWS 1979).
REFERENCES
1. Binnie & Partners Pty Ltd "Small Community Sewerage - Options for Stanwell Park - Discussion Draft" - March 1990
2. E Bryant "Critique of the Helensburgh Water Quality Management Study, Rainfall Intensities and Recurrence Intervals" - Wollongong University Uniadvice 1990
3. CANS "Planning and Development in the Northern Suburbs - A Community View" - A Submission by CANS to WCC in response to the Draft Revision of LEP No.38, January 1989
4. David F Gordon "The Illawarra Escarpment Park ... a Proposal for Extensions to the Illawarra Escarpment State Recreation Area" - Illawarra Environment Centre - June 1985
5. HDPS - Public Advocacy for Catchment Protection - the Role of the Helensburgh District Protection Society - 1989
6. New Scientist, 28 November 1988 p31
7. Noxious Plants Advisory Committee "The Problem of Urban Weeds" - May 1985
8. NPWS "Australia's 100 years of National Parks", with foreword by Paul Landa - 1979
9. NPWS "The Upper Hacking Catchment : A Natural Resource Survey" - 1985
10. N Robinson "The Need for Joining Illawarra Wilderness Areas" Aust. Zool. 19(2) 1977 p125-132
11. Short, Nichols & Flentje "Critique of Urban Stormwater Runoff Control Measures Proposed in the Draft Helensburgh Plan 1990" - August 1990.
12. SPCC "Investigation into the Impact of Urban Development at Helensburgh on Water Quality of the Hacking River" - March 1986.
13. SPCC "Hacking River - Total Catchment Management" - February 1989
14. SPCC "Pollution Control Manual for Urban Stormwater" August 1989
15. State Rail Authority "Relationship Between Proposed Remedial Works & the Natural Environment Vol.1" - November 1989
16. Total Environment Centre "Seminar on Local Government and the National Estate" 20-22 August 1986
17. Water Research Centre "Comment on SPCC Report on 'Investigation into Water Quality of the Hacking River' " - April 1986
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