TASAC Minutes 6 July 2016

Minutes of the Tourist Attraction Signposting Assessment Committee South West Region meeting

Wednesday 6 July 2016 at the offices City Council Corner of Baylis and Morrow Streets, Wagga Wagga

Members David Douglas Regional Coordinator TASAC and Drive, Destination NSW Phil Oliver Guidance and Delineation Manager, Roads & Maritime Services (RMS) Maria Zannetides TASAC Secretariat

Also present Matthew Holt Visitor Economy Officer, Wagga Wagga City Council Nick Els RMS South West Region Jennifer Connor Tourism and Economic Development Officer, Council Kerrie Wise Tourism and Promotions Officer, Council Patricia Wilkinson A/Manager, Tourism and Partnerships Unit, Office of Environment & Heritage (NPWS)

Apologies Nicola James Manager, Economic Development & Tourism, Council Michael Buckley RMS South West Region Greg Lawrence Manager Tourism and Economic Development, Griffith City Council

AGENDA ITEMS

1. DELEGATIONS / PRESENTATIONS & REGIONAL SIGNPOSTING ISSUES

1.1 Wagga Wagga signposting issues

TASAC members provided advice to Matthew on the following tourist and visitor information signage matters:

(a) Pomingalarna Reserve and Murrambidya Wetlands

Pomingalarna Reserve and Murrambidya Wetlands are managed by Wagga Wagga Council. They are open to visitors daily during all hours and no entry fees apply. Matthew explained that Council wishes to better promote free activities to visitors, including through the use of tourist signage.

Murrambidya Wetlands, which was opened in June 2016, is north of the Wagga Wagga town centre and on the south side of the . There are no toilet facilities at the site with the closest facilities located at Rotary Reserve. Council intends to extend a walking track through the site and to develop interpretive information about its fauna, flora and other environmental attributes.

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Pomingalarna Reserve is west of the town centre and north of the Sturt Highway. Wagga Wagga Golf Club is within the reserve. The reserve is also used for nature based activities, such as walking and mountain bike riding. It has several entrances and at one entry, an information panel outlines its history. The nearest public toilets are at a park in Ashmont about 1 km away.

In response the Committee provided the following advice:

i. The wetlands and reserve require further development before they could be eligible for tourist signposting.

ii. Attractions eligible for such signposting generally need to provide public toilets at the site or in close proximity. Where facilities are not on-site, information signs at the destination must inform visitors of the location of the nearest toilets via text and a map.

iii. Facilities for visitors such as walking tracks need to be established.

iv. Both destinations need to be supported by written interpretive information located at the sites about their attributes, e.g. history, fauna and flora.

v. The relevant TASAC application category would be Outdoor / Nature Based Attractions. The Walking Tracks and Boardwalks section of the category is generally used for wetlands and the Recreation Reserves section would apply to Pomingalarna Reserve. It was noted that TASAC signage is not available for local reserves and applications in the Recreation Reserves section of the Outdoor / Nature Based category must demonstrate that a reserve is of an appropriate scale, quality and significance to visitors to justify signposting from State roads.

(b) Livingstone National Park

Council is interested in improving tourist signposting for Livingstone National Park, which is 30 km from Wagga Wagga off Holbrook Road, to promote awareness of it as a nature based attraction to visitors.

The park is managed by NPWS and Patricia advised that there are no amenities at the park nor is it likely that they will be introduced in the future. The park has no toilet facilities and is a day use area only for activities such as mountain bike riding and horse riding, which require people to be self-sufficient. The park’s plan of management refers to the importance of retaining a minimal environmental footprint within the park and therefore, there are no plans to introduce facilities like garbage bins, interpretive information or toilets at the park. In the circumstances, NPWS does not intend to apply to TASAC for tourist signage for the park.

(c) Wagga Wagga AVIC

Matt was invited to contact Michael Buckley at RMS South West Region regarding signage on local and State roads for the Wagga Wagga visitor information centre, which is accredited at Level 2.

1.2 Hermit’s Cave and signage for Griffith AVIC

Greg Lawrence raised the following matters with Maria prior to the meeting:

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(a) Hermit’s Cave: The cave is listed as an archaeological site of State heritage significance in Griffith LEP 2014 and Council is interested in securing tourist signposting for the destination, which is located off Scenic Drive north east of the Griffith town centre. The site is named for Valerio Ricetti, a young Italian migrant, who lived in seclusion at the location from 1929 to 1952. Ricetti built a complex of enclosed rocky outcrops, walkways, gardens and terraces as well as growing crops, fashioning a shrine and engraving inscriptions on rocks. The site is considered to be a unique cultural landscape that documents Ricetti’s resourcefulness and skill as well as his interpretation and integration of natural landscape and materials to create his own environment.

It is understood that visitors are able to park in a designated area off Scenic Drive where there are interpretive panels telling Ricetti’s story. From there visitors must walk some 3 km from the car park to the cave and back. Kerrie, who visited the site several years ago, reported that the walking track was not smooth and there were several rocky outcrops. Nick indicated that the curvilinear nature of the road network leading to the site from the nearest State road would require a substantial and costly signage scheme if Council applied to TASAC and the application was found to be eligible. Nick offered to visit the site in the next month or so and report back to TASAC. He will also discuss the matter with Matt Vitucchi in Council’s roads area.

(b) Griffith AVIC: Maria was asked to invite Greg to contact Michael Buckley at RMS South West region about signage for the Griffith AVIC, which is accredited at Level 1. Nick commented that RMS prefers councils seeking changes to signage for visitor centres to formulate a draft proposal to be used as the basis for discussions.

1.3 Greater Hume Council issues

Holbrook was bypassed in 2013 with the opening of a new alignment of the Hume Highway near the town. Kerrie updated the Committee on her Council’s experience with the bypass:

 While there was a decline in visitation to Holbrook soon after the bypass opened, numbers slowly increased and by December 2014, moteliers reported improvements in occupancy beyond previous levels, though overall visitor numbers have yet to reach pre- bypass levels. However, visitors to Holbrook are staying longer and Holbrook café and restaurant operators are optimistic about the future.  Council has completed main-street and parking improvements in the town.  Holbrook AVIC, which is accredited at Level 2, is the fourth most visited AVIC in the .  A 24-hour service centre, featuring a branch of a popular Holbrook bakery, will soon open at the southern end of the town.  A replica of an AE2 Australian submarine has been installed at Holbrook outside the Holbrook AVIC, which is collocated with the Holbrook Submarine Museum. The vessel is based on the second Australian submarine ever built, which served in World War 1 and was sunk while serving in the Dardanelles.  Plans are being formulated to upgrade the Hume and Hovell walking track, 20% of which is located in Greater Hume Shire. During the discussion TASAC members commented that long walking tracks with multiple access points do not lend themselves to tourist signposting from State roads.

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Kerrie also queried the placement of tourist signposting on the Hume Motorway for a winery at in 2015 whereas TASAC had advised Council in 2012 that HMAS Otway and the Submarine Museum at Holbrook would not be eligible for signage on the new motorway, which was then under construction. In response Committee members explained that the motorway exit to Woomargama and the winery is physically different to the exit that leads to the Holbrook attractions. Specifically, the motorway exit for the winery is an “at grade” one whereas the exit to Holbrook is a “grade separated” one (i.e. it has deceleration lanes and exit ramps). It was also noted that, under current tourist signposting policy, signs could not be provided to any type of eligible attraction including a winery, from the Holbrook exit because of its grade separated configuration.

The distinction between tourist signposting and advertising signs was also discussed. Tourist signposting is located within the reserve of State roads (i.e. a legally defined area of land within which facilities such as roads, footpaths and associated features may be constructed for public travel) and is governed by the procedures of the Tourist Signposting Manual and TASAC. Contrastingly advertising signs are installed on private property outside the road reserve and are subject to environmental planning legislation (LEPs and State Environmental Planning Policy No. 64). While RMS is often consulted on advertising signs outside but adjacent to State road reserves, TASAC has no role in relation to advertising signs and they are not governed by the provisions of the Tourist Signposting Manual.

1.4 Members’ report on site inspections

David and Phil made the following observations arising from their site inspections in the Wagga Wagga area and environs the day before the meeting.

(a) Wagga Wagga Wineries

Signposting at the intersection of the Sturt Highway and Eunony Bridge Road for “Wineries” was followed. Reassurance signs on Eunony Bridge Road refer to Cottontails Wines and Wagga Wagga Winery. However, the current opening times given on Cottontails Wines’ website (Thursday to Sunday from 11.30 am to “late”) does not meet the requirements for tourist signposting. Neither winery has been assessed by TASAC in the last five years so their eligibility for signposting has lapsed.

Matt mentioned that Eunonyhareenyha Wines, a newer business, is also in the vicinity. Its opening times of 10 am to 4.30 pm daily suggest that it might be eligible for tourist signposting and Matt agreed to approach the operator about submitting a signposting application.

Decision: The eligibility of the wineries accessed from Eunony Bridge Road needs to be reviewed and the operators of Cottontails Wines and Wagga Wagga Winery will be asked to submit applications. The existing signage on the highway indicates that two wineries that meet TASAC’s standards can be accessed from the intersection. If this is no longer the case, then the signage would need to be altered.

Action: (a) Secretariat to contact Cottontails Wines and Wagga Wagga Winery to request that they apply for tourist signposting. (b) Matt to liaise with Eunonyhareenyha Wines with a view to the submission of a signposting application.

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(b) Museum of the Riverina

Signposting for the Museum of the Riverina was observed on the Sturt Highway. However, reassurance signs do not appear to be in place. In response to a question from David, Matt explained that the museum has two sites but only one is signposted.

2. NEW TOURIST SIGNPOSTING APPLICATIONS

2.1 Galore Hill Scenic Reserve, Fargunyah (Lockhart Shire)

Galore Hill Scenic Reserve is located 15 km north of Lockhart and approximately 12 km south of the Sturt Highway, between Wagga Wagga (75 km) and (55 km). From the highway, the turn to Galore Hill is via Lockhart Kywong Road and then onto Seberry Lane, which is a gravel road that leads to the reserve’s entrance. Access to the site involves a total of 7 km of unsealed road (made up of 2.3 km on local roads from the highway to the site and 4.6 km within the reserve itself). Council grades the unsealed roads annually or more frequently if there are complaints.

Galore Hill Scenic Reserve is open daily during all hours. There is an open ramp with a cattle grid at the entrance but no gates. Council has ordered signage to reflect the opening times, which will be added to an existing information board at the entry.

The reserve covers an area of approx. 501 ha and is considered to be one of the most impressive landmarks in the region, rising 215 m above the surrounding plains and 378 m above sea level. It lies on the boundary between two major physiographic regions: the riverine plain associated with the Murrumbidgee River and the western slopes of the Eastern Highlands. Its geography gives it a great diversity of landscape and habitat and as one of the few naturally vegetated areas in the district, it has a wide range of flora and fauna native to the area, including over 140 bird species.

The reserve, which is important to the Wiradjuri people, who are the traditional custodians, was grazed intensively by stock until 1968 when it was proclaimed a Recreation Reserve under the management of Lockhart Shire Council. Council banned all stock from the area to encourage the regeneration of native plants that were seriously depleted from intense grazing and it is currently managed in accordance with the provisions of Council’s 2013 Plan of Management.

The reserve is used for many recreational activities including picnicking, bushwalking, orienteering, abseiling, horse riding, mountain bike riding, nature study, photography, botany and geology. Both the “summit” area with its tower lookout and accessible walking tracks and the “saddle” area are popular with visitors. Signposted tracks aim to allow visitors to experience the various aspects of the reserve and to limit access to, and therefore protect, the more fragile areas. Also accessible to visitors are caves that were once used for refuge by bushranger, Daniel “Mad Dog” Morgan.

Major improvements have been undertaken over the past 12 months to ensure facilities meet users’ needs including:

 Repair and maintenance of walking tracks.  New trail signs and markers with suggested route times.

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 The installation of new interpretative signs, including signage relating to general information about the area, its facilities, Aboriginal cultural history and the history and location of Morgan’s Caves.  Sheltered all weather BBQs and all-weather tables and benches.  New flooring at the summit’s tower lookout.

The following issues were noted:

i. Coach and car parking spaces at the summit are not designated, though Council considers that the arrangements are adequate.

ii. RMS will consider the adequacy of the access and parking arrangements when it comes to designing and locating tourist signposting for the destination.

iii. The brochure’s reserve map is diagrammatic and a little hard to follow. It includes a locality map but not a street address and not all the access roads are not shown or, if shown, are not labelled with road names. These matters should be addressed in the next version of the brochure.

Matt informed those present that he has visited the reserve and he considered that the information provided in the application was an accurate reflection of the destination. On this basis it was determined that a site inspection report was not required in connection with the application.

Decision: Galore Hill Scenic Reserve is eligible for tourist signposting in the Outdoor / Nature Based (Recreation Reserves) category.

Action: Secretariat to advise the applicant as above.

2.2 O’Brien’s Hill Historic Gold Mine, Grenfell

O’Briens Hill Historic Gold Mine has had unauthorised tourist signage on the Mid Western Highway for many years (with wording that says O’Briens Lookout Historic Mine / Endemic Garden) and the application has been lodged at TASAC’s request to determine the future of the signposting.

O’Briens Hill, which is open daily during all hours, is a 1.6 ha undulating site on a hilltop on the eastern side of Grenfell and on the south side of the Mid-Western Highway (also known as Cowra Road). It is significant for remnant gold mining artefacts such as mine shafts, horse works, an ore stamper, air shafts and a poppet head. The site is named after Cornelius O’Brien who first discovered gold in the locality in 1866. O'Brien’s reef was the richest and most profitable in the Grenfell gold field. It underwent numerous periods of activity and almost all of the features of the current landscape relate to former mining operations.

O'Briens Hill is easily accessible to visitors with an on-site sealed car parking area, picnic facilities and toilets. There are no gates or fences around the site so visitors may access it at any time. There are formed gravel pathways encouraging visitors to complete the suggested walk through the site past various features of interest relating to its gold mining history. The site also has a disabled access lookout towards Weddin Mountains National Park.

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Extensive interpretive signage is located near the entry and alongside a path around the site to explain its gold production history. There are eight signs on topics such as life on a working goldfield, including the role of women, health concerns and how miners spent their leisure time; the birth on the Grenfell gold fields of Australian poet Henry Lawson; and the workings of an ore stamper.

The land is zoned RE1 for public recreation and is owned and managed by Council. While it is not currently listed on Weddin LEP 2011 as a heritage item, Council’s application indicates that it is scheduled for inclusion as a heritage item in the Weddin Shire LEP review planned for 2017. Given that the destination is a single site in one ownership and owned by Council, its public recreation zoning (i.e. there are minimal opportunities to develop the site in ways not associated with its current and longstanding use) and it has been presented as an attraction to visitors for many years, the lack of a current heritage listing was not considered to be an impediment to signposting as a tourist attraction in the Historic Properties and Sites category.

TASAC members visited the site prior to the February 2016 meeting in Cowra and on this basis the need for a site inspection report was waived. As is usual for applications in this category, comments will be sought from the Heritage Division of the Office of Environment & Heritage.

Decision: O’Briens Hill Historic Gold Mine is potentially eligible for tourist signposting in the Historic Properties and Sites category, subject to the views of the Heritage Division.

Action: Secretariat to advise the applicant as above and finalise the application if appropriate after liaison with the Heritage Division.

2.3 Foghorn Brewhouse, Newcastle

Foghorn Brewhouse is located in the Newcastle CBD and a related business with a similar name is also located at 2 Ilya Avenue, Erina. The destination comprises a 1,800 litre brewery that produces some 70,000 litres of beer annually. It also features a 250 seat restaurant, a bar and live music is presented three times per week.

The business is open on Tuesday and Sunday from 11.30 am to 9.00 pm; on Wednesday from 11.30 am to 10.00 pm; on Thursday from 11.30 am to 11.00 pm; and on Friday to Saturday from 11.30 am 11.30 pm. It is also open on Monday but only for 3.5 hours (5.30 pm – 9.00 pm).

The brewery is on full display to visitors and self-guided tours of it are available at all times during the opening hours. Opposite the brewing equipment is a large, stylised white on black mural depicting the brewing process and some of the key pieces of equipment. There is also a smaller mural that depicts the solar energy system with a light that comes on when the brewery is using 100% solar power but an image of this was not provided.

There is no off-street car parking at the site, which is a function of its location within the Newcastle CBD. The application states that metered street parking is available during the day with unmetered street parking outside business hours. The application also indicates that there are three paid parking stations within “easy walking distance”. It is unclear how easy it is to secure a metered space during the day or an unmetered space at night. The proximity and ease of access to the paid parking stations also needs to be assessed. The logistics and desirability of using tourist signage to direct visitors to the destination are questionable given that the signage would point motorists to premises without any advice about where they might

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“It is essential that adequate car parking is available either on-site or within close and convenient proximity to the attraction. It is generally expected that car parking be provided on-site, particularly in rural areas. In urban areas on-site parking is desirable, but if not feasible, adequate on or off-street parking needs to be provided within a convenient distance of the attraction. Adequacy of car parking is assessed on a case by case basis.”

In addition, the following issues were noted:

i. Photos of an opening times sign at the entry, access points and parking facilities were not provided.

ii. The application states that guided tours are available daily at 2 pm or other times by appointment. However, the brochure and website state that tours are only available at 2 pm on each of the weekend days.

iii. Images of the solar energy mural were not included with the application. It would also be useful to know how often the brewery operates using 100% solar energy.

iv. Details were not given nor photos provided to indicate specifically what brewing related magazines and other information is available or how these materials are presented to visitors.

v. It is unclear if all visitors can handle and taste raw materials or if this is limited to visitors who participate in a guided tour. The ways in which the raw materials are presented to and interpreted for visitors were not explained and images illustrating this aspect were not provided.

vi. Copies of beer menus, which outline flavours and aromas, were not provided or advice given as to how these are presented to visitors. vii. Information about how frequently brewing is conducted was not provided. viii. If RMS determines that lack of on-site parking is not an impediment to signage, then the applicant will be asked to address the matters at “i” to “vii” above. If they are resolved, an appropriate legend for text on signage will need to be worked out. “Foghorn Brewery” is preferred to “Foghorn Brewhouse” because the former would be more readily understood by most people, “brewery” more clearly relates to a secondary industry and it is a shorter word.

Decision: TASAC to seek advice from RMS Hunter Region about the adequacy of parking at the destination to assist it in its consideration of the application.

Action: (a) RMS Hunter Region to advise whether it considers that the destination has adequate parking. (b) Secretariat to advise the applicant as above.

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3. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF 15 JUNE 2016

The minutes of TASAC’s meeting of Wednesday 15 June 2016 in Wyong (Hunter Region) were confirmed. The Committee members and Secretariat advised that they had completed all the actions attributed to them from the meeting.

4. MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS

4.1 Koala Park Sanctuary, West Pennant Hills

David asked Maria to contact the Department of Primary Industries regarding the Koala Bark Sanctuary’s current licence to display animals and to report back to the August meeting.

Action: Secretariat to contact DPI as above and list the matter on the August agenda.

4.2 Update on Iris Garden, Grenfell

As noted in the July 2016 minutes, Weddin Shire Council does not wish to retain unauthorised tourist signposting on the Mid-Western Highway for the Iris Garden at Grenfell. Maria passed on advice she had received from Marty Cassell of RMS Western Region on 27 June 2016 that Weddin Shire Council’s Works Supervisor had confirmed that the signs for the garden have been removed.

Action: Secretariat to note the removal of the signs on TASAC’s records.

4.3 Update on signage for Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

Jenny-Lee Scharnboeck of NPWS informed Maria that an application for Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park had not been prepared in time for consideration by TASAC this month. Maria advised Jenny-Lee that an application is required soon if signage for the park is to be included in RMS’s designs for road widening works along Mona Vale Road. The designs are being prepared now and if an application is not submitted in time for consideration at the 24 August 2016 TASAC meeting, it may not be possible to include the signage in the project’s scope of works.

5. INQUIRIES RECEIVED SINCE LAST MEETING

The following inquiries received in the period since the last meeting were noted:

5.1 Hermit’s Cave and Lookout, Griffith 5.2 Alison Homestead, Wyong 5.3 Henry Lawson’s Cottage, Leeton 5.4 Lion of Waterloo Tavern, Wellington 5.5 Last Duel Site Memorial, Wellington 5.6 Mayfield Water Garden, Oberon 5.7 Whitton Museum, Whitton (near Leeton) 5.8 Wodonga Equestrian Centre, Thurgoona 5.9 Kooindah Golf Course, Wyong (RMS)

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6. POLICY ISSUES

6.1 Signage for Maitland AVIC

Correspondence from Maitland City Council regarding signposting for the Maitland AVIC was discussed. Destination NSW is awaiting further correspondence from the Council about the matter and it was noted that Destination NSW has asked RMS Hunter Region to allow existing road signage for the Maitland AVIC to remain in place until further notice.

7. OTHER BUSINESS

7.1 TASAC Meeting Schedule

Please refer to Attachment 1 for the schedule of meetings for the next six months. The next South West Region meeting will be held on 19 July 2017 at a venue to be advised.

7.2 Signposting of National Parks

Patricia raised a number of issues regarding signposting for National Parks and the ongoing process for liaison with RMS, which were discussed. Phil agreed to make some inquiries and it was noted that there would be a need for further discussions.

8. NEXT MEETING

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 24 August 2016 in Bourke (Western Region).

The meeting concluded at 1.45 pm

Attachment 1 – TASAC Meeting Schedule

Region Location Date Western Bourke 24 August 2016 N / A TBA 21 September 2016 Northern Coffs Harbour 19 October 2016 Northern Tamworth 16 November 2016 N / A DNSW HO 14 December 2016 2017 N / A Parramatta RMS office 18 January 2017

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