Hyde Park Reserve Hartley Plan of Management April 2008 Prepared by Lithgow City Council HYDE PARK RESERVE HARTLEY PLAN OF MANAGEMENT Hyde Park Reserve Plan of Management Prepared by March 2008 Acknowledgements Staff of the Community and Culture Division, Community and Corporate Department of Lithgow City Council prepared this plan of management with financial assistance from the NSW Department of Lands. Valuable information and comments were provided by: NSW Department of Lands Wiradjuri Council of Elders Gundungurra Tribal Council members of the Wiradjuri & Gundungurra communities members of the local community and neighbours to the Reserve Lithgow Oberon Landcare Association Central Tablelands Rural Lands Protection Board Lithgow Rural Fire Service Upper Macquarie County Council members of the Hartley District Progress Association Helen Drewe for valuable input on the flora of Hyde Park Reserve Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Canberra Tracy Williams - for valuable input on Reserve issues & uses Department of Environment & Conservation (DECC) NW Branch Dave Noble NPWS (DECC) Blackheath DECC Heritage Unit Sydney Photographs T. Kidd This Hyde Park Plan of Management incorporates a draft Plan of Management prepared in April 2003. Lithgow City Council April 2008 2 HYDE PARK RESERVE HARTLEY PLAN OF MANAGEMENT FOREWORD 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6 PART 1 – INTRODUCTION 7 1.0 INTRODUCTION 8 1.1 PURPOSE OF A PLAN OF MANAGEMENT 8 1.2 LAND TO WHICH THE PLAN OF MANAGEMENT APPLIES 9 1.3 GENERAL RESERVE DESCRIPTION 10 1.4 BACKGROUND AND HISTORY 12 1.5 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE 13 1.6 PROFILE OF STUDY AREA 14 1.7 SURROUNDING LAND USE AND REGIONAL CONTEXT 15 1.8 STRUCTURE OF THE PLAN OF MANAGEMENT 16 1.9 STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION 16 PART 2 – LEGISLATION AND POLICY FRAMEWORK 17 2.0 LEGISLATION AND POLICY FRAMEWORK 18 2.1 CROWN LANDS ACT 1989 18 2.1.1 Requirements of a Plan of Management for a Crown Reserve 18 2.1.2 Use and Management of Crown Land 19 2.1.3 Principles of Crown Land Management 20 2.1.4 Plan of Management Preparation 21 2.2 ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT ACT 1979 21 2.3 STATE ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING POLICIES (SEPPS) 21 2.4 REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL PLANS (REPS) 21 2.5 LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL PLANS (LEPS) 21 2.5.1 Zoning 22 2.5.2 Land Management Purposes 22 2.5.2 Development Proposal Assessments 23 2.6 LEGISLATION AND POLICY 24 2.6.1 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 24 2.6.2 Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 24 2.6.3 Threatened Species Legislation Amendment Act 2004 25 2.6.4 National Parks & Wildlife Act 1974 25 2.6.5 Noxious Weeds Act 1993 26 2.6.6 Local Government Act 1993 26 2.7 LINKS TO OTHER PLANS AND PROGRAMS 27 2.7.1 National and Regional Programs 27 Weeds of National Significance 27 The National Weeds Strategy 27 NSW Invasive Species Plan 2007 - 2015 27 NSW Biodiversity Strategy 27 Hawkesbury Nepean Catchment Action Plan 27 Hawkesbury Nepean River Health Strategy 28 Hawkesbury Nepean Draft Weeds Strategy 28 2.8 COMMUNITY CONSULTATION 28 2.9 IMPLEMENTATION 30 2.9.1 Accountability 30 Lithgow City Council April 2008 3 HYDE PARK RESERVE HARTLEY PLAN OF MANAGEMENT PART 3 – BASIS FOR MANAGEMENT 31 - RESERVE DESCRIPTION AND VALUES 31 3.0 BASIS FOR MANAGEMENT 32 3.0.1 Overarching Vision 32 3.0.2 Vision Statements 32 3.0.3 Heritage 33 3.0.4 Environment 33 3.0.5 Lithgow City Council Management Plan 35 3.1 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT 36 3.1.1 Reserve Characteristics 36 3.1.2 Landform, Geology and Soils 38 3.1.3 Native Vegetation 39 3.1.3.1 Significant Species 42 3.1.4 Native Fauna 45 3.1.5 Hydrology 46 3.1.6 Fire 48 3.2 CULTURAL HERITAGE 49 3.2.1 Aboriginal Heritage 49 3.2.2 Non-Aboriginal Heritage 52 3.3 LANDSCAPE VALUES AND VISUAL AMENITY 53 3.4 COMMUNITY VALUES AND SOCIAL PROFILE 54 3.5 EDUCATIONAL VALUES 55 3.6 PROGRAMS OF WORK 56 3.6.1 Historic Known Works & Activities 56 3.6.2 Planned Programs of Works 56 3.7 CURRENT & POTENTIAL IMPACTS AND USES 57 3.7.1 Surrounding Land Use and Subdivision 57 3.7.2 Reserve Access 59 3.7.3 Recreational Activities 62 3.7.4 Unrestricted Vehicle Use 65 3.7.5 Drainage, Erosion and Water Quality 67 3.7.6 Signage 69 3.8 INTRODUCED SPECIES 70 3.8.1 Plants 71 3.8.2 Animals 73 3.8.3 Insects 74 3.8.4 Fungi and Pathogens 74 PART 4 – ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES 75 4.0 ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES 76 4.1 OBJECTIVES TO PROTECT AND ENHANCE THE VALUES OF HYDE PARK RESERVE 76 4.2 MANAGEMENT ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES 77 4.2.1 Landform, Geology, Soils and Water 77 4.2.2 Native Plant and Animal Conservation 78 4.2.3 Fire Management 80 4.2.4 Cultural Heritage 81 4.2.5 Visitor Use and Recreation 83 4.2.6 Future Management Opportunities 85 Lithgow City Council April 2008 4 HYDE PARK RESERVE HARTLEY PLAN OF MANAGEMENT PART 5 – MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES 87 5. MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS 88 5.1 VISION FOR PLAN OF MANAGEMENT 88 5.2 MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTIVES 88 5.3 PROPOSED MANAGEMENT 89 5.3.1 Track Closures and Conservation Earthworks 90 5.3.2 Brushmatting 91 5.3.3 Vehicle Management 91 5.3.5 Revegetation Strategy 92 5.4 MONITORING AND REVIEW 93 5.5 GLOSSARY OF TERMS 95 5.6 REFERENCES 95 APPENDICES Appendix 1: Noxious Weed Control Classes 96 Appendix 2: Noxious Weed Declarations for Upper Macquarie County Council 97 Appendix 3: Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 Schedules 103 Appendix 4: Key Threatening Processes 103 Appendix 5: Priority Action Statements (PAS) for Asterolasia buxifolia 104 Appendix 6: Geological Map Sheet of Hyde Park and surrounds 105 Appendix 7: Soils Landscape Map of Hyde Park and surrounds 106 Appendix 8: Media Release RBG 107 Appendix 9: Management Implications - Legislation and Planning Instruments 108 Appendix 10: Native Flora List 111 Appendix 11: Native Fauna List 113 Appendix 12: Cultural Heritage Assessment Overview 118 Appendix 13: Artefact Identification 119 Appendix 14: Selected Artefact Photos – Hyde Park Reserve 120 Appendix 15: Community Survey Summary 2007 121 Appendix 16: Summary of Written Submissions 123 Lithgow City Council April 2008 5 HYDE PARK RESERVE HARTLEY PLAN OF MANAGEMENT FOREWORD A Plan of Management (PoM) is a document that provides the framework for managing a land resource. It explains “why, how and by whom” the subject area should be managed. In October 2007, Council as the Corporate Trust Manager for Hyde Park Reserve began the preparation of a draft Plan of Management (DPoM), for Crown Reserves R.97 and R.95074, which have been reserved for Public Recreation and Public Purposes. Lithgow Council acknowledges the financial grant contribution provided by the Department of Lands Public Reserves Management Fund to assist with the preparation of the Plan. The principle reason for preparing the draft plan over the Reserve is to deal with issues impacting upon the area and to ensure the plan complies with the Crown Lands Act 1989. Lithgow City Council presently manages Hyde Park Reserve as a bushland reserve that supports passive recreation, including bushwalking, picnics, and swimming. The Plan of Management describes these current usages in the reserve, and will describe future planned usage and management strategies for the Reserve. After Council approves the draft plan of management and the Department of Lands considers it satisfactory, it will be, (pursuant to Cl. 35 of the Crown Land Act 1989 – Regulation), placed on public display and a notice published in the NSW Government Gazette and local newspaper. The exhibition period of the draft plan provides an opportunity for public comment. After submissions have been received and considered, it is forwarded to the Minister for Lands for adoption. Once the Minister adopts the plan, Council as Trust Manager of the Reserve should only undertake uses, activities, or developments consistent with the finalised Plan of Management. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Hyde Park Reserve is an 18ha bushland reserve on the banks of the River Lett. The Reserve is well-known throughout the local community and has historically been a popular place for swimming and passive recreation. Hyde Park Reserve has significant natural, cultural, and recreational values. Two significant populations of flora species inhabit the Reserve, as well as containing significant cultural heritage values, and associations with early Blue Mountains expeditions. Current unrestricted recreational activities have increased substantially in recent years, resulting in many of the values associated with Hyde Park Reserve being impacted upon requiring addressing and remediation. This Plan of Management aims to ensure Hyde Park Reserve retains its environmental, scenic, cultural and social values and that key issues relating to the management of the reserve are addressed. The key strategies and recommendations is summarised and outlined further in Section 4. Lithgow City Council April 2008 6 HYDE PARK RESERVE HARTLEY PLAN OF MANAGEMENT Hyde Park Plan of Management Part 1 – Introduction Lithgow City Council April 2008 7 HYDE PARK RESERVE HARTLEY PLAN OF MANAGEMENT 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Purpose of a Plan of Management Lithgow City Council has prepared this Plan of Management to document the key values of ‘Hyde Park Reserve’ (Crown Reserves R.97 and R.95074) and guide its ongoing management, future use and development. Underpinning the Plan of Management is the involvement of stakeholders and the community in determining the values that are important and how these should be protected and enhanced.