We are required under the Local Government Act 1993 (the Act) to prepare plans of management for all community land in accordance with land categories provided in the Act.

For land categorised as Natural Area, the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021 (the Regulation) specifies:

“Land should be categorised as a natural area under section 36(4) of the Act if the land, whether or not in an undisturbed state, possesses a significant geological feature, geomorphological feature, landform, representative system or other natural feature or attribute that would be sufficient to further categorise the land as bushland, wetland, escarpment, watercourse or foreshore under section 36(5) of the Act.”

This means land that has been altered or left as we found it and has natural features that are important to preserve or hard to build on.

Further, the Regulation specifies:

1. Land that is categorised as a natural area should be further categorised as bushland under section 36(5) of the Act if the land contains primarily native vegetation and that vegetation—

(a)  is the natural vegetation or a remainder of the natural vegetation of the land, or

(b)  although not the natural vegetation of the land, is still representative of the structure or floristics, or structure and floristics, of the natural vegetation in the locality.

2.  Such land includes—

(a)  bushland that is mostly undisturbed with a good mix of tree ages, and natural regeneration, where the understorey is comprised of native grasses and herbs or native shrubs, and that contains a range of habitats for native fauna (such as logs, shrubs, tree hollows and leaf litter), or

(b)  moderately disturbed bushland with some regeneration of trees and shrubs, where there may be a regrowth area with trees of even age, where native shrubs and grasses are present in the understorey even though there may be some weed invasion, or

(c)  highly disturbed bushland where the native understorey has been removed, where there may be significant weed invasion and where dead and dying trees are present, where there is no natural regeneration of trees or shrubs, but where the land is still capable of being rehabilitated.

This draft generic plan does not propose changes to current uses, or general maintenance schedules on any of the sites.

This plan’s purpose is to:

• Capture existing reserve features,
• Clarify how we will continue to manage the reserve, and
• Outline how the land can be used by you.

The plan outlines how the reserve and its features, will generally be managed and maintained, it does not determine the specific work schedules (mowing, maintenance or upgrades); these are determined operationally by relevant staff.