New South Wales Repealed Regulations

This legislation has been repealed.

SYDNEY REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN NO 23--SYDNEY AND MIDDLE HARBOURS - REG 2

2 Aims, objectives etc

(1) The general aims of this plan are:

(a) to establish a framework which encourages a consistent and co-ordinated approach to the planning, development and management of the waterway, islands and foreshores of Sydney and Middle Harbours, and

(b) to establish an efficient and effective development control system for the Harbours and their foreshores and islands, and

(c) to ensure that the Harbours and their foreshores and islands are developed and promoted as a community asset, with due recognition being given to their role as a recreation and tourist focal point, and

(d) to ensure that the special value of certain foreshore areas as access points to the waterway are fully considered in future planning and development control, and

(e) to recognise, protect and enhance the natural, scenic, environmental, cultural and heritage qualities of the land to which this plan applies in future planning and development control, and

(f) to ensure that appropriate facilities are provided for water based and foreshore recreational activities which are compatible with the commercial role of the Port of Sydney and give due regard to environmental and cultural attributes, and

(g) to encourage balanced multiple use of the Harbours and their foreshores and islands, in a manner that is consistent with their environmental and cultural attributes and the commercial functions of the Port of Sydney, and

(h) to ensure that consistent guidelines are applied to the assessment of development of the Harbours and their foreshores and islands, and

(i) to encourage an appreciation of the Harbours and their foreshores and islands as areas of outstanding heritage significance and, in particular, the significance of individual heritage items within those areas, and

(j) to encourage an appreciation of the remaining natural foreshores around the Harbours.

(2) The specific aims of this plan are:

(a) in relation to commercial, governmental and administrative uses and activities:

(i) to maintain the role of the Port of Sydney in a manner that is consistent with the environmental and cultural attributes of the land to which this plan applies, and

(ii) to establish an appropriate balance between commercial, governmental and administrative activities and recreational activities, and

(b) in relation to administration and management:

(i) to ensure that a consistent and co-ordinated development approval process applies to all development proposals whether they be above or below mean high water mark or span mean high water mark, and

(ii) to ensure that for any development proposal there is only one consent authority, and

(iii) to ensure that all consent authorities apply consistent criteria when considering development applications, and

(iv) to establish clear and consistent guidelines on the use and development of the Harbours and their foreshores, and

(c) in relation to open space and recreation:

(i) to recognise the fundamental role that existing foreshore open space areas have in providing access to the waterway and in accommodating water based recreational activities, and

(ii) to give priority to recreational activities which require or are enhanced by a foreshore location, and

(iii) to improve access to the waterway and from the waterway to foreshore parks, and

(iv) to encourage in appropriate circumstances the provision of additional foreshore open space, and

(d) in relation to boating facilities:

(i) to recognise the value of the Harbours as an outstanding location for recreational, tourism and sports boating activities, and

(ii) to recognise the importance of having appropriate facilities for the storage, launching and maintenance of commercial, recreational and other vessels, and

(iii) to make appropriate provision for the establishment of new boating facilities in a manner that is consistent with the environmental and cultural attributes of the land to which this plan applies, and

(e) in relation to the natural environment:

(i) to protect flora and fauna habitats, including wetland areas, in a manner that is consistent with their conservation value, while also recognising the validity of other uses of the foreshores and the waterway, and

(ii) to improve and maintain the water quality of the Harbours and to provide a healthy habitat for marine and bird life and for water based recreational pursuits, and

(iii) to more carefully identify the biological resources of the inter-tidal and sub-tidal zones, and

(iv) to preserve known areas of biological conservation value in the inter-tidal and sub-tidal zones, and

(f) in relation to the visual environment:

(i) to protect and enhance the landscape and special scenic qualities of the Harbours, and

(ii) to ensure that adequate consideration is given to the visual impact of development, and

(iii) to preserve the natural foreshores of the Harbours and to ensure development does not detract from their natural character, and

(g) in relation to the environmental heritage:

(i) to conserve and enhance the environmental heritage of the Harbours and their foreshores and islands, including their underwater archaeological resources, and

(ii) to encourage an appreciation of the role of the Harbours in the history of both Aboriginal and European settlement.