Mount Victoria to Lithgow Great Western Highway Upgrade Strategic review of a Newnes Plateau corridor
With regard to general pollution and contaminated land, the study area varies in quality depending on proximity to residential areas. The predominantly forested areas of the Newnes Plateau are comparatively of good quality. However, some detrimental impacts have occurred as a result of recreational vehicle use (eg four wheel driving) through State Forest, historical mining activities, and historical Australian Defence Force operations. A review of the New South Wales topographic map series (1991) did not indicate any obvious potential point sources of contamination. However, consultation with several stakeholders indicated that there are known flows of zinc resulting from abandoned mining practices east of the Darling Causeway and allegations of discharges from existing extractive industries and mining operations.
A search of the Department of Environment and Climate Change Contaminated Land Register revealed the presence of three sites that have been issued Contamination Notices under the Contaminated Lands Act, 1997 ). The sites included:
Hartley Vale Former Shale Oil Refinery – Hartley Vale Road, Hartley Vale. ADI Lithgow Small Armaments Methven Street, Lithgow. Blue Circle Southern Cement – Williwa Street, Portland.
It is considered unlikely that any of these known contaminated land issues would constrain corridors through the study area.
9.3 HERITAGE ENVIRONMENT
9.3.1 Aboriginal heritage
Aboriginal cultural heritage consists of places and objects that are of significance to Aboriginal people because of their traditions, observances, customs, beliefs and history. Aboriginal cultural heritage is dynamic and may comprise physical (or tangible) or non physical (non tangible) elements. As such, it includes things made and used in earlier times, such as stone tools, art sites and ceremonial or burial grounds, as well as more recent evidence such as old mission buildings, massacre sites and cemeteries.
Aboriginal people have occupied the New South Wales landscape for at least 50,000 years. The evidence and important cultural meanings relating to this occupation are present throughout the landscape, as well as in documents and in the memories, stories and associations of Aboriginal people. Therefore, an activity that impacts on the landscape, may impact on Aboriginal cultural heritage.
The Aboriginal cultural heritage aspect of the constraints analysis included a desktop study identifying potential Aboriginal cultural heritage constraints for the study area along with the following information collection:
A search of the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System. A review of any relevant literature including previous reports, studies, papers over the study area. Aboriginal community consultation occurred either in person or in writing, which included: Bathurst Local Aboriginal Lands Council. Deerubbin Local Aboriginal Lands Council. Mingaan Aboriginal Corporation (Wiradjuri Lithgow). Active Native Title applicants.
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The study area is perceived to be primarily the traditional lands of the Wiradjuri, however there are other nations that fall within the study area including the Darug to the west, Darkinjung to the north and Gundungara to the south.
Literature searches indicated that there is little information available about the Aboriginal nations linked to the areas from the Bells Line of Road to Lithgow. Consultation with local Aboriginal people from the Lithgow/Bathurst area, indicate that the area has always been Wiradjuri land. Tindale (1974) in SKM (2004) suggested the Newnes Plateau as the western margin of the Darug territory. However, Bowdler (1984 quoted in Kelton 2000) described the area as a zone of interaction between the western Wiradjuri, the Darug and the southern Gundungurra and perhaps even the Ngarigo people.
The literature review and consultation indicated that Aboriginal people have long used the ridge top route along the Bell Range to move through the mountains. It was part of an ancient network of pathways which connected people with Country and with each other. People travelled to trade, to share information, to get food and other resources, to fight, to visit family and friends, for ceremonial obligations and much more. Stories, songs and dances helped Aboriginal people remember important information about their Country. It is considered likely that areas surrounding water courses and ridge tops may retain artefacts of these interactions today.
The Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System search identified 303 Aboriginal sites across the study area comprising Aboriginal shelters, art, axe grinding grooves, and burials. The approximate location of these items was then mapped. Due to the desire to respect and preserve these identified objects, mapping of these locations is not included within this report. Utilising the information acquired by Cardno’s senior environmental scientist of Aboriginal descent, an interpretative assessment of areas deemed likely to contain further, currently unidentified, objects of Aboriginal significance was undertaken. These areas are displayed in Figure 9.8.
9.3.2 Non-Aboriginal heritage
Lithgow and the surrounding region contains numerous items of non Aboriginal heritage. As part of the westward route forged by Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson in 1813, the region quickly developed due to both the construction of road and rail access into the region, and its abundant mineral resources. Many structures and artefacts resulting from these early European settlements have been preserved. In particular Hartley Valley and its townships contain numerous objects representing this period of Australia’s history. The remnant vegetated areas on the Newnes Plateau to the north and east of Hartley Valley contain fewer items of significance, although some do exist due to agricultural and mining works undertaken in the region.
To identify non Aboriginal heritage items within the study area database searches were undertaken utilising:
The Australian Heritage Database. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Database. NSW State Heritage Register. NSW State Heritage Inventory. Blue Mountains Local Environment Plan, 2005.
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Lithgow City Local Environment Plan, 1994.
In addition to these, consultation with key stakeholders was undertaken to identify and locate any further items of local heritage significance not included in any of the sources listed above. In total 70 items were identified as being listed on either National, State or Local heritage registers (Table 9.3). In addition to these items, the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area is located to the east of the Darling Causeway (generally within the National Park area). Other items not formerly listed on these databases but seen to be of significance include the Pagoda Country geological formations (currently listed as an Indicative Place on the Register of the National Estate awaiting formal acceptance), ecological communities, and the historic Newnes – Wolgan Railway (Figure 9.9).
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Figure 9.9 Non-Aboriginal heritage locations
(Please note that indicative places likely to contain Non Aboriginal heritage locations are not shown)
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Table 9.3 Heritage listed items
Heritage Item Location St John the Evangelist Church Main Street, Wallerawang McKanes Falls Bridge Jenolan Caves Road, Lithgow Collits' In n Hartley Vale Road, Hartley Vale Bowenfels Railway Station and Stationmaster's House Main Western railway, Bowenfels Lithgow Valley Colliery and Pottery Site Bent Street, Lithgow Great Zig Zag Railway and Reserves Brewery Lane, Lithgow Cooerwull Railw ay footbridge Top Points Zig Zag Railway, Lithgow Eskbank Railway Station group Main Western railway, Lithgow Great Zig Zag Railway deviation tunnels and dam Main Western Railway, Lithgow Marrangaroo railway viaduct Main Western Railway, Marrangaroo Ry dal Railway Station and Underbridges group Main Western Railway, Rydal Tarana Railway Station and yard group Main Western Railway, Tarana Wallerawang Railway Station, Bridges and yard group Main Western Railway, Wallerawang Wambool old rail truss overbr idges Main Western Railway, Wambool Hartley Historic Site Great Western Highway, Hartley Fernhill Great Western Highway, Bowenfels Lithgow Blast Furnace Inch Street, Lithgow Bowenfels National School Site 70 Mudgee Street, Old Bowenfels Ben Bullen Rai lway Station group Wallerawang Gwabegar railway, Ben Bullen Bowenfels Rail Viaducts Main Western Railway 159.156 km , Bowenfels Catholic Church Great Western Highway, Hartley Hartley Court House Old Bathurst Road, Hartley St Johns Anglican Church Old Ba thurst Road, Hartley Collits/ Mount York Burial Ground Hartley Vale Road, Hartley Vale Lockyers Pass Track Head Hartley Vale Road, Hartley Vale Old Roman Catholic Cemetery Great Western Highway, Hartley Wolgan Valley Village Wolgan Road, Wolgan Valley Glen Davis Oil Shale Works and Refinery Canobla Ave, Glen Davis Methven Evans Place, Bowenfels St Thomas' Anglican Church Wicketty War Road, Hampton Portland Cement Group Quarry Road/Williwa Street, Portland Eskbank House Bennett Street, Lithgow Gener al Cemetery Main West Line, Rydal Anglican Church Cartwright Street, Rydal Railway Station Bathurst Street, Rydal Former Zig Zag Brewery Brewery Lane, Oaky Park Bragg Street houses Bragg Street, Oaky Park Union Theatre Bridge Street, Lithgow Lithgow Local Court Mort Street, Lithgow Hoskins Memorial Presb yte rian Church Corner of Bridge and Mort Streets, Lithgow Brisbane Street Houses Brisbane Street, Oaky Park Hermitage Colliery Management Residence 8 Coalbrook Street, Hermitage Flat Staff Cottages Small Arms Factory Commonwealth Ave, Lithgow ANZ Bank Corner of Eskbank Street and Main Street, Lithgow Lithgow Cemetery Great Western Highway, Lithgow Blast Furnace Site Inch Street, Lithgow Blast Furnace Coke Ovens Inch Street, Lithgow
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Heritage Item Location Houses 8 24 Lithgow Street, Lithgow Bank 156 Main Street, Lithgow Office 31 Main Street, Lithgow Lithgow Primary School Mort Street, Lithgow La Salle Academy Rabaul Street, Littleton State Mine Site State Mine Gully Road , Lithgow Victoria Pass (Mitchell Pass) Great Western Highway, Mount Victoria Six Foot Track Six Foot Track, Megalong Cemetery Mead Street, Meadow Flat Lowther Park and Cemetery Jenolan Caves Road, Lowther Rosedale Great Western Highway, Little Hartley Moyne Farm and Cemetery Coxs River Roa d, Little Hartley Harp of Erin Great Western Highway, Little Hartley Meades Farm Great Western Highway, Little Hartley Ambermere Great Western Highway, Little Hartley Walker/Barton Private Cemetery Wallerawang Sunny Corner General Cemetery Dark Corner Road, Sunny Corner Forty Bends Cottage Great Western Highway, South Bowenfels Presbyterian Church Great Western Highway, South Bowenfels Ben Avon (Royal Hotel) Great Western Highway, South Bowenfels Gun Replacements Off Kirkley Street, South Bowenfels Airdrie (formerly Presbyterian Manse) Kirkley Street, South Bowenfels Newnes Hotel Wolgan Road, Newnes
9.3.3 Native title
A search of the National Native Title Tribunal for active Native Title claims within the Blue Mountains and Lithgow City Local Government Area was conducted to establish whether Native Title ownership would constrain the proposed study area. The following claims were identified, none of which have yet been determined:
Gundungurra Tribal Council Aboriginal Corporation #2 NC96/27. Gundungurra Tribal Council Aboriginal Corporation #5 NC97/4. Gundungurra Tribal Council Aboriginal Corporation #6 NC97/7. Darug Tribal Aboriginal Corporation NC97/8.
Approximately 60 per cent of the study area (the south eastern portion) falls under the claim of the Gundungurra Tribe NC97/7. However, it should be noted that there is currently no recognised Indigenous Land Use Agreements within the study area. In addition to these four active claims, two claims submitted by the North Eastern Wiradjuri People (NC06/5 and NC06/8) have previously been lodged for areas within the Lithgow local government area. Both these claims have since been finalised and discontinued and are no longer active. Neither of these discontinued claims overlaps with the study area.
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