Overview
Summary of current ‘issues of concern’
Committee activities and news – 2000
Committee activities and news – 1999
Kurnell environment and issues website
Kurnell history website
Towra Point website
Overview
The Kurnell Peninsula is a significant cultural and ecological asset. It is the Birthplace of Modern Australia – the site of Captain James Cook’s first landing in this country – and the first meeting place of European and Aboriginal cultures. Kurnell is also the site of the most important wetland in the Sydney region (at Towra Point), regionally significant vegetation, sand dunes, a village of about 2600 residents, and many industrial establishments, including Sydney’s largest oil refinery.
Sadly, the Kurnell Peninsula has been neglected and abused over many decades: Its once spectacular sand dunes have been depleted through sandmining and landfill operations, overgrown by noxious weeds and eroded by 4WD and horse riding activities; Sutherland Shire’s sewage is discharged from the Peninsula’s coastline; and there are ongoing tourist/residential/industrial development proposals which would add to environmental pressures in the area.
The magnitude, complexity and fragmentation of issues facing sustainable environment planning on the Kurnell Peninsula place heavy constraints on achieving a lasting rehabilitation of the Peninsula.
Over the past five years, the Centre has significantly increased its role in trying to find lasting solutions to problems at Kurnell:
Convening meetings of Towra Point Nature Reserve stakeholders – 1996-1999
Providing an administrative base of Towra Lagoon sandbagging project – 1997-98
Acting as a major player in campaign against Cogeneration plant – 1997
Acting as a major player in ‘Reclaim the [Botany] Bay’ campaign – 1998
Providing an administrative base, convenor, and member of Kurnell Regional Environment Planning Council – a coalition of 8 community groups – since 1998
Establishing two websites – TOWRA-Net, Kurnell History
Coordinating Weedy Pond Rainforest Restoration Project at Towra – 1998-2000
The Centre believes the following measures are required to resolve many of the problems in the Peninsula, to properly honour Kurnell’s cultural heritage, and to ensure environmental sustainability:
Cessation of sandmining and protection of all remaining dunes
Rezoning most of the land to ensure environmental protection
Review of the Peninsula’s statutory Regional Environmental Plan
Establishment of an independent strategic plan/management plan for the Peninsula
Cessation of 4WD activities on the Peninsula
Promotion and encouragement of all weed eradication efforts across the entire Peninsula – from private landholders to volunteer groups
Increased funding and resources for NPWS to manage the two ‘icon’ reserves, namely Towra Point Nature Reserve and Botany Bay National Park
Promotion of public access to the Peninsula
A Masterplan for the Taren Point area to protect its important habitat values
Support for the concept of a protected corridor of native vegetation/open space across the length of the Kurnell Peninsula.
Kurnell Report 2000
The year 2000 marked the 230th anniversary of Captain Cook’s landing at Kurnell. This 230th year was again characterised by both positives and concerns for the Peninsula and the Centre retained an active role.
The anniversary of Cook’s landing was celebrated in April at Kurnell’s annual festival. Apart from the now traditional formal ceremony in Botany Bay National Park, another significant event took place in the Kurnell Guides Hall on Saturday 29th. This was the launch of the new book “Kurnell – Birthplace of Modern Australia, a Pictorial History” which was the culmination of many months work by local historian Daphne Salt. The Centre’s role in this project was to construct a supplementary Kurnell history website (http://ssec.org.au/kurnell) which was launched in conjunction with the book. The website component was supported by a grant from the NSW Heritage Office and took about 9 months to complete. In the next few months we will be adding other comprehensive information about Kurnell to this new website to compliment the history section. If you take into consideration the Centre’s existing TOWRA-Net website, by year’s end we will have completed an extensive on-line collection of information on the Kurnell Peninsula.
In 2000, the Centre also continued its active participation with other groups in the Kurnell Regional Environment Planning Council (KREPC). KREPC again met at monthly and quarterly intervals aiming to promote a sound future for the natural environment and cultural heritage of the Peninsula. KREPC has been active in, among other things, contributing submissions to: development applications, the Healthy Rivers Commission of Inquiry, and Draft Plans of Management for Towra Point Nature Reserve and Botany Bay National Park. It has also actively participated in discussions over the RTA’s wetland proposal, the Refinery’s Reference Group, and Sydney Water’s Sewage Treatment Plant upgrade.
This year KREPC has also examined the complexity and fragmentation of issues and problems on the Peninsula in an attempt to identify priorities for rehabilitation. To this end the Centre, on behalf of KREPC, lodged a grant application with the NSW Environmental Trust for funding to compile an independent community-based strategic plan for the Peninsula, and to appoint a “Kurnell Peninsula Manager”. The outcome of this application will be known by December.
Sutherland Shire Council moves on the Peninsula this year have included a vote in February to reject Australand’s proposal to construct 500 dwellings on their former sandmining site, a concurrent rezoning of all sandmining sites to open space (private recreation) and establishment of a Kurnell Working Party to examine the legalities of sandmining.
However last month, in a startling announcement, the State Government moved to ‘strip’ Council of their power as consent authority for the Australand proposal, and to announce its intention to institute its own rezoning to facilitate residential development. There was a degree of concern over the announcement given that no prior consultation had taken place with either the community or Council. So, as a result of this State Government intervention we will enter 2001 with some uncertainty as to future planning on the Kurnell Peninsula.
To conclude on a brighter note, 2000 also saw the completion of the Centre’s rainforest restoration project at Towra. Many thanks to Coastcare, Chris Brogan and NPWS for their assistance over the past 2 years.
Kurnell Report for 1999
The Kurnell Peninsula has continued to be a hotbed of environment concern over the last 12 months and the Centre’s has maintained its high level of activity on Kurnell issues through a variety of campaigns and projects.
In December 1998, the Centre played a part in the formation of the Kurnell Regional Environment Planning Council (KREPC) – a coalition of 9 community organisations with an interest in the rehabilitation of the Kurnell Peninsula. The Centre serves as the administrative base for KREPC and is currently has represented on its Executive Committee.
Meeting at monthly and quarterly intervals, KREPC has dealt with a range of issues this year from the Australand development, to dredging at Taren Point and the upgrade of the Cronulla Sewage Treatment Plant.
In addition to its role with KREPC, the Centre is also now represented on a newly formed Environmental Reference group at the Kurnell Oil Refinery. The purpose of the group is to examine and provide recommendations on the Refinery’s Strategic and Environmental Improvement Plans as well as to raise concerns about the refinery’s operations. The group has had 3 meetings so far this year.
The Centre’s involvement at Towra Point Nature Reserve has been primarily project-based during 1999. Funding for the Centre’s rainforest restoration project at Weedy Pond was extended for 1999 and work has again been undertaken to remove invasive weeds to allow native species to regenerate. With the assistance of community volunteers, international backpackers, young unemployed people and Lend Lease personnel, a corridor of rehabilitated bushland has been created linking two shorelines of the Nature Reserve. The Centre has benefitted greatly from the services of Chris Brogan who has provided expert assistance and supervision for the project. The project has also provided a good opportunity for the Centre to continue it’s cooperative relationship with National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The Centre’s TOWRA-Net website continues to be accessed by an increasing number of people. We receive numerous comments via the website particularly from local school students. In addition, during July this year contact was made via the Internet with Ms Magarida Serra – a journalist from the Portuguese radio station TSF. The station was compiling a special series of reports on significant ecosystems in different parts of the world. After finding the Centre’s TOWRA-Net website, Ms Serra, who filed the report on our region, chose to visit and profile Towra Point and the activities of the Centre for the story.
The Centre is also indebted to one of our volunteers, Thai Loi who has provided tremendous assistance with all of the Centre’s websites.
Whilst I’m acknowledging people’s efforts I’d like also to acknowledge the work that has been done over many years by the Cronulla Dunes and Wetlands Protection Alliance. Through our involvement with the Kurnell groups on various issues this year, the Centre has come to appreciate the extent of the Alliances knowledge and expertise on Kurnell issues and we certainly look forward to working with them in the future. – Simon Kimberley