Royal National Park Wattamolla Mater Plan
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Royal National Park Wattamolla Master Plan WATTAMOLLA MASTER PLAN © 2017 State of NSW and Office of Environment and Heritage With the exception of photographs, the State of NSW and Office of Environment and Heritage are pleased to allow this material to be reproduced in whole or in part for educational and non- commercial use, provided the meaning is unchanged and its source, publisher and authorship are acknowledged. Specific permission is required for the reproduction of photographs. The Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) has compiled this publication in good faith, exercising all due care and attention. No representation is made about the accuracy, completeness or suitability of the information in this publication for any particular purpose. OEH shall not be liable for any damage which may occur to any person or organisation taking action or not on the basis of this publication. All content in this publication is owned by OEH and is protected by Crown Copyright, unless credited otherwise. It is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0), subject to the exemptions contained in the licence. The legal code for the licence is available at Creative Commons. OEH asserts the right to be attributed as author of the original material in the following manner: © State of NSW and Office of Environment and Heritage 2017. Acknowledgments The OEH acknowledges that Wattamolla is part of the traditional lands of the Dharawal people. For additional information or any inquiries about Royal National Park contact Royal National Park Visitor Centre on (02) 9542 0648, or visit: http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/Royal-National-Park Published by: Office of Environment and Heritage 59 Goulburn Street, Sydney NSW 2000 PO Box A290, Sydney South NSW 1232 Phone: +61 2 9995 5000 (switchboard) Phone: 131 555 (environment information and publications requests) Phone: 1300 361 967 (national parks, general environmental enquiries, and publications requests) Fax: +61 2 9995 5999 TTY users: phone 133 677, then ask for 131 555 Speak and listen users: phone 1300 555 727, then ask for 131 555 Email: [email protected] Website: www.environment.nsw.gov.au Report pollution and environmental incidents Environment Line: 131 555 (NSW only) or [email protected] See also www.environment.nsw.gov.au/pollution/ ISBN 978-1-76039-451-6 OEH 2016/0487 First published in June 2017 ii WATTAMOLLA MASTER PLAN Contents List of figures .................................................................................iv 4.0 Opportunities and Constraints................................................11 1.0 Introduction.................................................................................1 5.0 Master Plan................................................................................13 2.0 Existing Landscape....................................................................3 5.1 Design Capacity.................................................................14 2.1 The Site...............................................................................3 5.2 Key Elements.....................................................................15 2.2 Site History...........................................................................4 5.2.1 Visitor Amenity......................................................15 2.3 Climate.................................................................................5 5.2.2 Recreation............................................................16 2.4 Microclimate.........................................................................5 5.2.3 Circulation.............................................................17 2.5 Site Soils..............................................................................5 5.2.4 Safety....................................................................17 2.6 Landscape Character..........................................................5 5.2.5 Environmental Sustainability................................18 2.7 Population Change..............................................................6 5.2.6 Sustainable Materials...........................................18 5.2.7 Financial Sustanability..........................................18 3.0 Landscape Analysis...................................................................7 5.2.8 Operational Efficiency...........................................19 3.1 Recreational Use................................................................7 5.3 Development Staging.......................................................20 3.2 Environmental Conditions...................................................8 3.3 Existing Infrastructure..........................................................9 6.0 Bibliography..............................................................................21 3.4 Historical and Cultural Mapping........................................10 iii WATTAMOLLA MASTER PLAN List of Figures Fig1. Wattamolla Beach (CONTEXT 2015) 1 Fig2. Bird’s eye view westwards towards Wattamolla Falls with proposed master plan solutions 2 Fig3. Vegetation at Wattamolla (CONTEXT 2015) 3 Fig4. Aerial view over Wattamolla on a peak day (NPWS) 3 Fig5. South Head entrance (State Library of NSW, 1914) 4 Fig6. Camp sites at Wattamolla (Photographer unknown, date unknown) 4 Fig7. Historical photo showing turning circle north of Coote Creek, Palm Flats and cabins at Wattamolla (F. Hurley. Date unknown) 4 Fig8. Current South Head entrance (CONTEXT 2015) 4 Fig9. Changes in the vegetation on site over time (State Library of NSW 1914, State Library of NSW 1947, CONTEXT 2015) 5 Fig10. Heath vegetation around the site (CONTEXT 2015) 5 Fig11. Vegetation cover around Wattamolla (CONTEXT 2015) 5 Fig12. Projected populations (2014 NSW Household and Dwelling Projection Data) 6 Fig13. Visitors walking along Wattamolla Road on a peak day (CONTEXT 2015) 6 Fig14. Site analysis: recreational use 7 Fig15. Calm and shallow waters of the lagoon are favoured by young children (CONTEXT 2015) 7 Fig16. Picnic areas with shade are essential on warm days (CONTEXT 2015) 7 Fig17. Site analysis: environmental conditions 8 Fig18. Casuarina trees on Wattamolla Beach (CONTEXT 2015) 8 Fig19. View along Coote Creek (CONTEXT 2015) 8 Fig20. Site analysis: existing infrastructure 9 Fig21. The existing food kiosk (CONTEXT 2015) 9 Fig22. Toilets and bins (CONTEXT 2015) 9 Fig23. Site analysis: historical and cultural mapping 10 Fig24. Memorial plaques celebrating Bass and Flinders’ landing and the Coote family donation of Wattamolla to the Crown (NPWS) 10 Fig25. Port Hacking aerial (Photographer unknown. Land and Property Information 1947) 10 Fig26. Opportunities and constraints overview plan 11 Fig27. Opportunities and constraints detail plan 12 Fig28. Preliminary master plan overview 13 Fig29. Peak day parking at Wattamolla (Photographer Unknown, NPWS 2010) 14 Fig30. Crowd at Wattamolla (CONTEXT 2015) 14 Fig31. Crowd at Wattamolla (CONTEXT 2015) 14 Fig32. Visitor capacity at Wattamolla 14 Fig33. Preliminary master plan detail: Main lawn and adjacent areas 14 Fig34. Sandstone steps at Apple Tree Bay (CONTEXT and CM+ 2006) 15 Fig35. Artist’s impression of proposed kiosk refurbishment 15 Fig36. Platform camping example 16 Fig37. Lookout example 16 Fig38. Providential Point commercial camping area (based on concept by Environmental Partnership) 16 Fig39. Circulation diagram 17 Fig40. Sectional diagram of proposed balustrade 17 Fig41. Images of proposed materials 18 Fig42. Booking system diagram 19 Fig43. Proposed parking layout plan 19 Fig44. Staging diagram 20 iv WATTAMOLLA MASTER PLAN 1.0 Introduction Wattamolla, with its estuarine lagoon, waterfall, beach and “Even though only a stone’s throw from the greater Sydney stunning coastal scenery, is the most popular destination within area, the drive out to Wattamolla reminds any city-weary the Royal National Park, attracting over 300,000 visitors per passenger that they are indeed living in a country renowned year. It is located along the Royal Coast Track, an iconic walk for its vast outback.” of the Royal National Park. - Tom Desu, Weekend Notes CONTEXT has been engaged by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), Office of Environment and Heritage to prepare the master plan for Wattamolla Beach. The CONTEXT team has worked closely with NPWS and a team of sub consultants including The Stafford Group (business planners) and WSP Parsons Brinkerhoff (traffic) in developing the master plan. As part of the process, the project group has also involved key stakeholders of the site in project meetings and presentations to gather input and recommendations for the proposed developments. The master plan seeks to address NPWS’ challenge of managing peak visitation at the site while maintaining an attractive visitor setting at other times and catering for overnight use by individuals, groups and commercial operators on the Royal Coast Track. It aims to achieve this while protecting and conserving the park’s natural, cultural, social and aesthetic values by incorporating the following objectives: – visitor safety – recreational value – financial sustainability – operational efficiency – visual and environmental amenity. This master plan report describes the landscape framework for Wattamolla from its existing natural assets and overall master plan vision for the proposed facilities including picnic areas, open parkland, bushland reserve, camping and water bodies. Fig1. Wattamolla Beach (CONTEXT 2015)