OLD MANS VALLEY COMMUNITY LAND DRAFT PLAN OF MANAGEMENT October 2011 Old Mans Valley. The study area sits above Hornsby Quarry and below Hornsby Park within close proximity to the CBD, residential areas and Berowra Valley Regional Park. Prepared under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1993 Parks and Landscape Team Hornsby Shire Council Old Mans Valley – Draft Plan of Management Foreword PLAN OF MANAGEMENT – DRAFT Council has prepared this Plan of Management (PoM) as a draft Plan concerned with an open space area known as Old Mans Valley (OMV). OMV forms part of a valley to the west of the Hornsby Town Centre. OMV occupies Lots 1 and 2 of Plan Number 169188 and Lot 1 of Plan Number 112343, which is community land owned by Hornsby Shire Council. It occupies an area of approximately 12.5 hectares, the majority of which has been modified by the activities of early European settlement including logging and farming, followed by impacts associated with quarrying on the adjoining former Hornsby Quarry land to the west. Quarrying resulted in deposits of overburden being placed in OMV, augmented with additional filling with a view to establishing playing fields in OMV. These field construction works remain incomplete and recreation use of the site is limited to unstructured activities. The site has potential for well used recreation facilities when developed. The OMV site is proposed to be developed for structured and unstructured recreation, which will be outlined in this PoM. OMV adjoins Hornsby Park on its eastern and southern boundaries and the former Hornsby Quarry site on its western boundary (see aerial photo in Figure 1). The lands sit within a valley extending west of a ridgeline which has the Pacific Highway running along it. The valley forms a tributary to Berowra Creek in the Hawkesbury River Catchment. This PoM will serve as an interim plan. It is expected that in the future a new PoM will be prepared to address this land and adjoining open space areas under Council’s care, control and management, including Hornsby Park containing the Aquatic Centre and the former Hornsby Quarry land. The subject site will herein be referred to as ‘Old Mans Valley’ or ‘OMV’. To reiterate, for the purposes of this PoM, the subject site is not to be taken to include Hornsby Park or the former Hornsby Quarry lands. COMMUNITY INPUT INTO THE PLANS OF MANAGEMENT The Local Government Act 1993 requires that all Plans of Management covering community land are placed on public display for a minimum period of 28 days. A minimum period of 42 days after the draft is placed on exhibition is allowed for written submissions to be made to council (s.38). Submissions allow the community (including residents, interest groups, sporting clubs and Government agencies) to provide information, suggest alternatives and express opinions in relation to the proposed management of community open space within Hornsby Shire. After consideration of all submissions received, council may decide to amend the draft plan of management, or adopt it without amendment. If council decides to amend the draft plan, it must publicly exhibit the amendments in accordance with the above requirements until such time as the draft can be adopted without further amendment (S.40). A Public Hearing is required to be held in respect of a draft Plan of Management only if the proposed Plan would have the effect of categorising or recategorising the community land in accordance with S.40 (3) of the Local Government Act 1993. As there is no recategorisation proposed by this Plan of Management, a Public Hearing will not be required. Further information can be obtained from the Parks and Landscape Team at Hornsby Shire Council, phone: 9847 6853. - Page i - Old Mans Valley – Draft Plan of Management CONTENTS PAGE FIGURE 1 – Old Mans Valley and adjoining sites – Community Land 1 1 PLAN OF MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW AND POLICY FRAMEWORK 2 1.1 What is a Plan of Management? 2 1.2 Why prepare an Old Mans Valley draft Plan of Management? 2 1.3 Development Allowable under this Plan of Management 2 1.3.1 Local Government Act Requirements 2 1.3.2 Classification and Categorisation 3 1.3.3 Core Objectives 3 1.3.4 Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 3 1.3.5 Hornsby Shire Local Environment Plan 1994 3 1.4 Relevant Legislation 3 1.4.1 Commonwealth Legislation 3 1.4.2 NSW Legislation 3 1.5 Relevant Council Policies 4 1.5.1 The Planning WebTM and The Social Plan – A Strategic Direction 5 1.5.2 Heritage Review 5 1.5.3 Sports Facility Strategy 6 1.5.4 Unstructured Recreation Strategy 6 1.5.5 Housing Strategy 7 1.5.6 Hornsby Leisure Strategic Plan 7 1.5.7 Council’s Specific Bushland Management Aims 8 1.5.8 Aboriginal Heritage Study 8 1.5.9 Conclusions 9 1.6 Previous Studies 9 2 SITE DESCRIPTION 11 2.1 Context 11 FIGURE 2 OMV Context Plan 11 2.2 History 12 2.3 Description of the Land 15 2.3.1 Catchment Context 15 2.3.2 Topography 15 2.3.3 Geology 15 2.3.4 Hydrology and Water on Site 16 2.3.5 Vegetation 16 FIGURE 3 – Bushland and Drainage Lines in OMV 17 2.3.6 Landscape Character 19 2.3.7 Items of Cultural Significance 19 PHOTOS - Context and Site Features 20 PHOTOS - Heritage Items 20 2.4 Key Features of Old Mans Valley 21 TABLE 1 Key Features & Opportunities 21 2.5 Issues for Old Mans Valley 22 2.5.1 Quarry Proposals 22 2.5.2 Site Access & Legibility 22 - Page ii - Old Mans Valley – Draft Plan of Management 2.5.3 Relationship with Berowra Valley Regional Park & Hornsby Town Centre 22 PHOTOS - Access to OMV 23 2.5.4 Mountain Bike Trails - Environmental Impacts and Safeguards 24 2.5.5 Noise 24 FIGURE 4 Quarry / OMV / Hornsby Park Masterplan 25 3 CONSULTATION AND MASTERPLAN DEVELOPMENT 26 3.1 Introduction 26 3.2 Community Consultation 26 TABLE 2 Extract from Twyfords Report - 'WANTS' for OMV 27 TABLE 3 Response to 'Wants' criteria 27 3.3 Refined Masterplan 29 FIGURE 5 Option 2 – Indicative Concept Plan 30 FIGURE 6 Refined Open Space Masterplan 31 3.4 Development Proposals 32 3.5 Mountain Bike Trails - Facilities 32 TABLE 4 Staged Implementation of Developments in Old Mans Valley 33 FIGURE 7 Mountain Bike Trails Plan 34 FIGURE 8 Changes to Mountain Bike Trails Plan – Short and Long-term 35 FIGURE 9 Proposed Categorisation Mapping 36 4 OPERATIONAL PROPOSALS 37 4.1 Maintenance 37 4.2 Leases and Licences 37 4.2.1 Leasing and Licensing of Sports Facilities 38 4.2.2 Licences for Special Events 39 4.2.3 Leasing and Licensing of Park Facilities 39 4.2.4 Leasing and Licensing in Natural Areas 39 4.2.5 Other Leases and Licences 40 5 ACTION PLAN 42 1.0 ACTION PLAN FOR ALL CATEGORIES OF COMMUNITY LAND 43 1.1 Operating Standards 43 1.2 Equity and Access 46 1.3 Anti-social behaviour 47 1.4 Reserve Naming and Dedications 48 1.5 Protecting Fauna and Fauna Habitats 48 1.6 Conservation of Resources 49 1.7 Heritage Listings 49 1.8 Impacts of Developments and Activities 49 1.9 Leases and Licences 50 1.10 Communications Towers 51 1.11 Volunteer Insurance 51 - Page iii - Old Mans Valley – Draft Plan of Management 1.12 Funding 51 2.0 ACTION PLAN FOR PARKS AND SPORTSGROUNDS 53 2.1 Notifications 53 2.2 Protecting the Natural Environment 54 2.3 Availability of Facilities and Grounds 55 2.4 Maintenance of Facilities and Grounds 56 2.5 Risk Management 61 2.6 General Use: Dogs, Fireworks, Fairs 61 2.7 Use for Access or Storage for unrelated purposes 62 2.8 Community and Neighbour Issues 63 3.0 ACTION PLAN FOR NATURAL AREAS 64 3.1 Bushland and Biodiversity Protection 64 3.2 Community involvement and awareness 68 3.3 Boundary Management 69 3.4 Domestic and Feral Animal Control 70 3.5 Bush Fire Management 71 3.6 Walking and Recreation 72 3.7 Interpretive Signs 74 3.8 Watercourses 74 3.9 Authorities’ Works and Projects 75 3.10 Strategic Planning and Assessment of Developments 75 3.11 Funding 76 BIBLIOGRAPHY & APPENDIX : - 77 FIGURES AND TABLES page no. FIGURE 1 Old Mans Valley and adjoining sites – Community Land 1 FIGURE 2 OMV Context Plan 11 FIGURE 3 – Bushland and Drainage Lines in OMV 17 TABLE 1 Key Features & Opportunities 21 FIGURE 4 Quarry / OMV / Hornsby Park Masterplan 25 TABLE 2 Extract from Twyfords Report - 'WANTS' for OMV 27 TABLE 3 Response to 'Wants' criteria 27 FIGURE 5 Option 2 – Indicative Concept Plan 30 FIGURE 6 Refined Open Space Masterplan 31 TABLE 4 Staged Implementation of Developments in Old Mans Valley 33 FIGURE 7 Mountain Bike Trails Plan 34 FIGURE 8 Changes to Mountain Bike Trails Plan – Short and Long-term 35 FIGURE 9 Proposed Categorisation Mapping 36 - Page iv - Old Mans Valley – Draft Plan of Management FIGURE 1. Old Mans Valley – Community Land (shows the adjoining Hornsby Park / Aquatic Centre and the former Hornsby Quarry lands, which are not subject of this Plan of Management). - Page 1 - Old Mans Valley – Draft Plan of Management 1 - PLAN OF MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW AND POLICY FRAMEWORK 1.1 What is a Plan of Management? A Plan of Management (PoM) is a document that provides a means to control the future use, development and maintenance of Community and / or Crown Land under Council’s care, control and management.