COSS Strategy 2010
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COASTAL OPEN SPACE SYSTEM (COSS) STRATEGY August 2010 Adopted 3 August 2010 Council minute number 2010/579 Internal Reference 7937223 Coastal Open Space System (COSS) Strategy i Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1 2.0 PURPOSE OF THE COSS STRATEGY ........................................................................... 2 3.0 HISTORY/BACKGROUND ............................................................................................... 2 3.1 Establishment of the Coastal Open Space System ........................................................ 2 3.2 Expansion of the COSS................................................................................................. 3 4.0 VALUES OF COSS .......................................................................................................... 4 4.1 Scenic Quality ............................................................................................................... 5 4.2 Natural Setting - COSS in Wider Biodiversity Conservation Context ............................. 6 4.3 Human interaction: recreation, education and scientific endeavours ............................. 8 4.4 The System - COSS in Wider Landscape Context....................................................... 10 4.5 Cultural heritage .......................................................................................................... 11 5.0 KEY STAKEHOLDERS ................................................................................................... 12 5.1 Role and Function of COSS Committee/Task Group ................................................... 13 5.2 Public Land Stakeholders ............................................................................................ 13 6.0 THE COSS BOUNDARY ................................................................................................ 16 6.1 Review of the COSS boundary 2007 ........................................................................... 16 6.2 COSS Stage 2 - Western COSS ................................................................................. 16 6.3 COSS Assessment Process ........................................................................................ 17 7.0 ACQUISITION ................................................................................................................ 18 7.1 Acquisitions of part properties: .................................................................................... 19 8.0 MANAGEMENT .............................................................................................................. 20 8.1 Core Management Objectives in Local Government Act 1993 ..................................... 20 8.2 Principles of Crown Land Management ....................................................................... 20 8.3 COSS Management Strategy 1992: ............................................................................ 21 8.4 Plans of Management ................................................................................................. 21 9.0 COSS FUNDING ACQUISITION AND MANAGEMENT .................................................. 22 9.1 Gosford City Council Protection of the Environment Trust ........................................... 23 9.2 Financial Strategy........................................................................................................ 23 9.3 Deed of Agreement ..................................................................................................... 23 9.4 Davistown Wetlands Funds ......................................................................................... 23 9.5 Funds generated by "bonus provisions" subdivisions of land zoned 7(c2) ................... 24 10.0 MONITORING, REPORTING AND REVIEW .................................................................. 25 11.0 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................ 25 12.0 REFERENCES AND RELATED DOCUMENTS .............................................................. 26 APPENDIX I: LIST OF COSS STRATEGY ACTIONS .............................................................. 28 APPENDIX II: COSS BOUNDARY 1984 .................................................................................. 30 APPENDIX III: TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR COSS TASK GROUP ..................................... 31 APPENDIX IV: COSS BOUNDARY 2008 ................................................................................. 34 APPENDIX IV: COSS PROPERTY ASSESSMENT MATRIX ................................................... 35 Coastal Open Space System (COSS) Strategy ii COASTAL OPEN SPACE SYSTEM STRATEGY 1.0 INTRODUCTION The Coastal Open Space System (COSS) is a network of reserves supporting native vegetation that are managed by the Gosford City Council for a number of environmental and community values. The COSS reserves are consistent with the community land classification of 'bushland' as defined in section 36 The Local Government Act 1993. The network is not contiguous, and the reserves are situated predominately in six separate units that are located close to each other in the eastern part of the Gosford Local Government Area (LGA). In addition to the publicly owned Council freehold land and Crown Land within the COSS boundary, a number of private properties have been identified to be voluntarily acquired for inclusion in the System. These properties have been assessed as having values that are consistent with the COSS. Bringing these properties into public ownership will ensure that the land will be managed for its ecological, cultural and social values. The primary purpose of the COSS is to maintain areas of native vegetation and habitat for native animals on public land in the eastern part of the Gosford Local Government Area. The reservation of the land in the COSS also has the effects of protecting Aboriginal cultural sites and non-Aboriginal heritage items as well as local water catchments and geological formations. In addition, the retention of native vegetation provides a green back drop to many of the urban areas in the City, and ensures that most of the residents of the Gosford area live in the vicinity of natural environments. The specific objectives of the COSS are: a. to conserve the visual and environmental quality of the natural scenery of Gosford City; b. to protect the vegetated ridgelines which provide a green backdrop and visual relief to the urban areas; c. to provide habitat for native flora and fauna, and for the protection of biodiversity within the City; d. to provide vegetated connections between ridgelines and wetlands to allow movement of wildlife and the plant gene pool; e. to facilitate and enhance the enjoyment of the conservation areas by the provision for passive recreation activities compatible with the natural environment; f. to ensure natural areas with water catchments remain undeveloped thus not causing deterioration in water quality entering receiving waters; g. to ensure natural areas are preserved for the educational and scientific value they provide to the community; and h. to bring land that has environmental and scenic value into public ownership. Ensuring that the appropriate planning and management frameworks are developed and applied is essential for maintaining the COSS as one of the Gosford City community's premiere natural assets. Coastal Open Space System (COSS) Strategy 1 2.0 PURPOSE OF THE COSS STRATEGY The purpose of the COSS Strategy is to implement the Gosford Community's Vision 2025, and the State Government's planning priorities and legislation by identifying the strategic directions and the major actions required to conserve and preserve a sustainable Coastal Open Space System including the acquisition of identified lands for the System. Council's policy position in relation to the COSS is to retain the system of open space to preserve its environmental values and integrity. This is supported through the continuation of the bonus lot subdivision provisions and land dedication under Draft Gosford Local Environmental Plan (LEP) 2009, albeit in a different format to that currently in IDO 122. The collection of contributions in exchange for increased subdivision potential and dedication of identified lands is integral to the overall implementation and on-going management of the COSS. The Department of Planning has advised that all of Council's planning directions must have a strategic basis. The current bonus lot provisions in IDO 122 are the cornerstone of the COSS and in that way are strategic in nature; however, there has never been a formal strategy on which they were based. With the preparation of the Draft Gosford LEP 2009, the opportunity arose for there to be a concurrent strategy prepared for the COSS. The COSS Strategy has been prepared to provide a strategic planning rationale for the operation and management of the COSS, including the acquisition of identified land. A number of actions are identified within this strategy that, as implemented, will assist in the operation and management of the COSS. A list of the actions is listed in Appendix I. Strategic plans are not static and must be monitored to assess whether the assumptions made were correct, whether the COSS is moving in the direction envisaged, and whether the Gosford Vision 2025 is being achieved. Regular review of the COSS Strategy is therefore required. Action: 1. The