State of Env Report 2007-8 - Oberon Council · 2015-06-30 · H:\Development Department\SOE...

$: State of Env Report 2007-8 - Oberon Council · 2015-06-30 · H:\Development Department\SOE Reports\State of Env Report 2007-8.doc 33 1.1 INTRODUCTION Every action and decision of$
OBERON COUNCIL

STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

REPORT

FOR THE PERIOD 01/07/07 TO 30/06/08

H:\Development Department\SOE Reports\State of Env Report 2007-8.doc 22

STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Aims and Objectives 1.3 The Report Format 1.4 General Area Description 1.5 Environmental Legislation

SECTION 2 CURRENT STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

2.1 Population 2.2 Climate 2.3 Bio-Diversity

SECTION 3 IDENTIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT OF POPULATED AREAS

3.1 Land 3.2 Air 3.3 Water 3.4 Noise 3.5 Waste

SECTION 4 IDENTIFICATION OF PRESSURES ON THE ENVIRONMENT

4.1 Forestry 4.2 Agrigulture 4.3 Urban Growth and Development 4.4 Natural Disaster/Hazards 4.5 Recreation and Tourism 4.6 Energy 4.7 Transport 4.8 Industry and Manufacturing 4.9 Mining/Quarrying

SECTION 5 SPECIAL COUNCIL PROJECTS RELATING TO THE ENVIRORNMENT AND

THE IMPACT OF COUNCIL’S ACTIVITIES 5.1 Threatened Species and Recovery Plans 5.2 Environmental Restoration Project 5.3 Vegetation Cover and Vegetation Instruments 5.4 The Role of Council’s Local Environmental Plan (LEP) 1998 5.5 Generation and Management of Solid Waste

SECTION 6 COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY RESPONSES AND IMPACTS

6.1 Draft Environmental Management Strategies


1.1 INTRODUCTION Every action and decision of Council can impact on the local, regional and global environments. The Oberon Council recognises that the community needs to review and change traditional attitudes and behaviour if we are to improve environmental quality and make progress towards sustainable development. To do this we need to easily understand readily available and widely disseminated environmental information on which to base these changes. However, the environment itself is always changing either naturally or due to the stresses placed on it by all of us. Understanding these changes in the environment, their trends, causes and impacts is what State of Environment Reporting is all about. It is a way of knowing whether our environment is getting better or worse. If done well, it will help us understand what is happening and whether our responses are working. The revision of the Oberon Local Environmental Plan has considered the pressures for development and also takes advantage of current and future opportunities for sustainable development within the Local Government Area (LGA). The Local Government Act 1993-Section 428(2) (c) requires councils to prepare annual reports that includes a report as to the state of the environment in that area, and in particular in relation to the following environmental sectors: • Land • Air • Water • Bio-diversity • Waste • Noise • Aboriginal heritage • Non aboriginal heritage • Management Plans relating to the environment • Special Council projects relating to the environment • The environmental impact of Council activities This report relates to the period 1/7/06 to 30/6/07.Oberon Council has also participated with 16 other Councils of the Greater Central West Region of NSW in the preparation of a Comprehensive Regional State of the Environment Report for the period 2008-2009.

1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The Oberon Council, via the State of the Environment Report, has the following overall objectives: • To educate the local community, the Council, business and developers about their local

environment and how it is affected by human activities • To inform the community, the Council, business and developers of the activities of Council,

Government, industry and the community, aimed at restoring the environment • To ensure that the Council area's environment is preserved and enhanced whilst making real

progress towards sustainable development To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the ongoing annual State of the Environment Report will provide the public, decision-makers and Government with regular sound information about the status and condition of the environment by: • commenting on environmental pressures and stresses • assessing the present and future impacts of these stresses by reporting trends in

environmental change • assessing progress towards achieving ecological sustainability


• reporting on the effectiveness of policies and programmes responding to environmental change, including progress towards achieving environmental standards and targets

• providing input into the development of long term, ecologically sustainable economical and social policies by all spheres of Government

• identifying gaps in our knowledge of environmental conditions and trends

1.3 THE REPORT FORMAT This State of the Environment Report is based on the rationale that the environment interacts with the state of the economy. Human activities impose pressures on the environment whilst winning natural resource inputs. The state of the environment also depends on the management of the environment through appropriate economic and regulatory responses. • What do we know about the state of the local environment and our natural resource assets?

What changes and trends are occurring? • Why is it happening? What causes and stresses are making it happen? • What are we doing about it? What are our management responses? • A summary of the programmes and activities being undertaken as a response to problems in

the Oberon area. This report is considered to be a step in an evolving process. The document is meant to be dynamic and will be amended in time to be more informative, user friendly and increasingly beneficial with each production. Essentially, in preparing the initial report in 1993, Council: • Looked at its existing sources of data first • Identified areas or gaps where information is not found • Where information has not been found, the current status is assessed as best as possible • Consulted Government bodies, authorities, community groups and industries who may be

able to provide useful data on any environmental indicator This State of the Environment Report has been prepared in six (6) basic parts: Section 1 Introduction Section 2 Current State of the Environment A brief description of the natural resource assets - the land, air and water. This is a discussion based around the interpretation of suggested environmental indicators chosen for the Oberon Council area. It includes, with limitations, the geographic location and the extent and condition of the following themes as listed in the Act under the theme of bio-diversity:

• Unique landscape and vegetation cover • Important wildlife and habitat corridors • Threatened Species

Section 3 Identification and Management of Polluted Areas This includes, with limitations, identification of current and potential pressures or threats to the environment due to the various types of human activities. These pressures are related back to the following themes in the Act: • Polluted areas – land, air, water and noise • Special Council projects and environmental impact of Council activities


Section 4 Identification of Pressures on the Environment This section discusses the history and benefits of identified natural and unnatural activities within the shire known to place pressure on the environment. Section 5 Special Council Projects Relating to the Environment and the Impact of

Councils Activities This section details projects and initiatives undertaken by the Council which may impact upon the local and regional environment, and projects in place to help preserve and maintain the environment. Section 6 Council and Community Responses to Impacts This section describes actions taken by Council, and the local community in general, to deal with the known impact which human activities are having on the environment and to provide, as far as possible, an assessment of the effectiveness of these policies. Responses could include the following themes: • Waste management policies and strategies • Any environmental restoration projects • Any vegetation cover related instruments or policies • Stormwater Management Plans This report has not identified trends through time impacting on the environment of the Oberon Council area. It provides the baseline from which trends identified in the future can be prepared. Through time, appropriate indicators could be identified by Council if it chooses to do so. Data gathered could be entered on a database, readily able to be updated and manipulated. Knowing about the state of the local environment is a crucial prerequisite/tool which enables broader environmental management. The local and regional state of the environment is a corporate responsibility to be recognised by Council and its staff and is an important consideration in all Council policies, decisions and works.


1.4 GENERAL AREA DESCRIPTION AND BRIEF HISTORY The Council Development Department prepared a Thematic History of Oberon as part of the community based Heritage Study in 2003. This book, prepared by Philippa Gemmell-Smith, is an interesting and informative document. The Oberon Local Government Area is located in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales on the Great Dividing Range,196kms west of Sydney. The Local Government Area is on both the eastern and western falls of the Great Dividing Range of NSW. It is approximately 2½ hours by road from Sydney. Forestry, agriculture, mining and tourism are the main industries throughout the LGA. Much of the area is considered to be sub-alpine with The Oberon township 1113 metres above sea level. The Local Government Area adjoins the local government areas of Bathurst Regional, Blue Mountains City, Upper Lachlan Shire, Lithgow City and Wollondilly Shire. Following an inquiry conducted in 2004, the new Oberon Council was proclaimed on 26 May 2004 and commenced operations on 26 May 2004. The total area of the new LGA has increased from 2925km² to 3660km², an increase in total land area of approximately 25%. The most significant area of this is the new south-western sector of the LGA, encompassing Burraga and Mount David, which were formerly part of Evans Shire. The former Evans Shire is a region of national historical importance, being the first settled farming and grazing area in Australia west of Parramatta. Gold and copper mining contributed a significant amount of wealth to the former Shire in the mid to late 1800’s. Farming, grazing, forestry, mining and small industry have historically been the main economic activities in the Shire. More recently, eco-educational tourism, art, crafts andhospitality venues have been developing. Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Heritage Oberon was visited by Aboriginal groups prior to European settlement. The Daruk from the eastern side visited the Cox's River area, and the Jenolan Caves area. From the west, groups from the Wiradjuri roamed the O'Connell, Bathurst and Macquarie Plains, and the tributary streams of the Macquarie River. During the summer months, they visited the higher country, and relics tell of communal meeting places, worship areas, fishing, hunting and food gathering. In 1813 explorers Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth found a way across the Blue Mountains to the western plains. Settlers from the plains brought their stock to the greener high country around the Oberon district during drought periods. Oberon graziers enjoy a relative drought- resistant climate compared to the western plains of N.S.W From about 1818 onwards, an increasing number of settlers took up residence, many from Ireland, either growing vegetables and fruits of British origin, or grazing stock. Poor soil in many places, swamps and harsh winters prevented any great financial success. Gold was discovered on the Fish River in 1823 and this gave the area a boost in population. There have been many silver and copper mines in the district and the area is still well known for its sapphires and gemstones which attract many fossickers. There are numerous derelict mine sites in the Council area. The lush countryside attracted settlers and grants of land began to be taken up along the Fish River and the Campbell's River in the 1830's. This involved major land clearing which has had a significant impact on the environment. The early pioneers knew Oberon as Bullock Flat. Permanent settlement in the district began in 1839. The site of Oberon was surveyed by Surveyors Horace Charlton and John F. Mann on 456 acres of Crown Flats.


On 4 July 1863, the village of Oberon was proclaimed. The name originates from Shakespeare's play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in which Oberon was the King of the Fairies, and was selected by a local woman who claimed it to be a better sounding name than Bullock Flat. From a town population of 200 in the 1880's, it grew to about 2,700 in 2000, and has been steadily growing ever since (2.3% over the past 8 years). The estimated resident population of the Council area is 5,077 (ABS Regional Statistics, New South Wales, 2001), although with the increased population as a result of the acquisition of 17% of the former Evans Shire Council, the estimated population of the Oberon Local Government Area is approximately 5,200. The Oberon Shire Council (now Oberon Council) was formed at a public meeting in March 1906. In 1927 the Memorial Hall was built by the citizens of Oberon and it was used as the Council Chambers until 1949 when the Council offices were moved to their present site of 137 Oberon Street and the Memorial Hall was extended and became the Oberon R.S.L. Club. In 1949 the first stage of the Fish River Water Supply, known as Lake Oberon, was completed and the building of this important water supply to Lithgow, Bathurst, Oberon and parts of the Blue Mountains brought many workers and their families to the district. The project was completed in 1958. The plentiful supply of hardwood in the district attracted the attention of the Broken Hill mines in 1938 and the timber was transported by rail to be milled at Broken Hill for pit props. The local native forests were decimated. As hardwood areas ran out they were replanted with Pinus Radiata by the NSW Forestry Commission. This is the foundation of the current softwood timber industry in Oberon which is now vital to the local economy. These activities also provide a major stress to the environment. The twentieth century saw agricultural transformation, with such things as carbon tetrachloride bringing control of liver fluke in sheep, and superphosphate leading to developed pastures. For almost 50 years, peas and potatoes were important crops, and for many years fat lamb production was a major industry. Radiata pine plantings commenced in the 1930's. The Oberon district now produces brussels sprouts, peas, stone fruits and potatoes. There are few historic buildings in Oberon. The Malachi Gilmore Hall in the main street is one of the few remaining Art Deco buildings in New South Wales and has recently been listed on the NSW State Heritage Register. A significant portion of the Oberon Area is taken up by The Kanangra Boyd National Park which is approximately 180,000 hectares of rugged high country. The area conserves unique and outstanding natural features such as the Kanangra Walls and its conservation is of major environmental significance, and is now World Heritage Listed. The Jenolan Caves Reserve is also World Heritage listed. Oberon’s proximity to areas of natural and rural beauty, Sydney, Bathurst, and its climate support a growing tourism industry.


1.5 ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION Council has various environmental powers and obligations under several Acts, including: 1.5.1 Local Government Act, 1993 The Local Government Act, 1993, which commenced on 1 July 1993, provides the legislative basis for local government in New South Wales. In regard to environmental matters, the 1993 Act introduced new responsibilities. Section 7 includes the following purposes of the Act: (a) to provide the legal framework for an effective, efficient, environmentally responsible and

open system of local government in New South Wales; and (e) to require councils to have regard to the protection of the environment in carrying out their

responsibilities. Also included as part of the Council's charter in Section 8 is the direction: “………to properly manage, develop, protect, restore, enhance and conserve the environment of

the areas for which it is responsible, in a manner that is consistant with and promote the principals of Ecologically Sustainable Development.”

“………to have regard to the long term and cumulative effects of its decisions.” Oberon Council must prepare draft Management Plans for its activities for at least three (3) years (Section 402) and the Statement of Principal Duties must include particulars of: “………activities to properly manage, develop, protect, restore, enhance and conserve the

environment in a manner that is consistent with and promotes the principles of ecologically sustainable development (Section 403).”

1.5.2 The Protection of the Environment Operations Act, 1997 The Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, (POEO Act), is the key piece of environmental legislation administered by the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC). The POEO Act commenced on 1 July, 1997 and repealed the following Acts:

Clean Air Act 1961 Clean Waters Act 1970 Environmental Offences and Penalties Act 1989 Noise Control Act 1975, and Pollution Control Act 1970 The major provisions of the Waste Minimisation and Management Act 1995 were also repealed by the POEO Act, but are now incorporated within the POEO Act. The Act enables the Government to set out explicit Protection of the Environment Policies (PEPs) and adopt more innovative approaches to reducing pollution. The POEO Act provides a single licensing arrangement to replace the different licences and approvals under existing separate Acts relating to air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution and waste management. Council is the Appropriate Regulatory Authority (ARA) for non-licensed premises. 1.5.3 Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, 1979 This Act institutes a system of building control, landuse planning and assessment in New South Wales. The objects of the Act are listed in Section 5:


The Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, forms the framework for the planning system in New South Wales. This Act creates the mechanism to prepare Local Environmental Plans, Development Control Plans and State Environmental Planning Policies. The objects of the Act are: (a) to encourage

� the proper management, development and conservation of natural man-made resources for the purpose of promoting the social and economic welfare of the community and a better environment;

� the promotion and co-ordination of the orderly and economic use and development of land;

� the protection, provision and co-ordination of communication and utility services; � the provision of land for public purposes � the provision and co-ordination of community services and facilities; and � the protection of the environment; and � ecologically sustainable development; and

(b) to promote the sharing of responsibility for environmental planning between different levels of

government in the State; and (c) to provide increased opportunity for public involvement and participation in environmental

planning and assessment "Environment" is defined in Section 4 to "include all aspects of the surroundings of humans, whether affecting any human as an individual or in his or her social groupings". 1.5.4 The Forestry Act, 1916 This Act establishes Forests NSW to administer the preservation and management of state forests and timber, fauna and flora reserves. In attaining the objectives of the Act, Forests NSW shall take all practical steps to ensure the preservation and enhancement of the quality of the environment 1.5.5 National Parks and Wildlife Act, 1974 This Act consolidates the law relating to the following: 1. This Act establishes the National Parks and Wildlife Service (now the Department of

Environment and Conservation) to administer the preservation and protection of:

• national parks,

• historic sites,

• state recreation areas and regional parks,

• for the conservation and protection of nature reserves,

• state game reserves,

• karst conservation reserves and wildlife (including threatened species, populations and ecological communities, and their habitats).

2. For the preservation and protection of, and prevention of damage to:

• karst regions,

• relics and Aboriginal places in national parks,

• historic sites, nature reserves,

• state game reserves,

• Aboriginal areas,

• protected archaeological areas,

• state recreation areas and regional parks.


3. for the exploration of lands with the object of discovering relics and in relation to conservation agreements and conservation areas.

1.5.6 Public Health Act, 1991 This Act enables the control of public health risks via disinfection or destruction orders, closure of premises and water supplies, and other directions for the preservation of public health. 1.5.7 Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Commonwealth) Act 1999 This Act requires approval for “actions” that will have , or are likely to have , a “significant impact” on “matters of national environmental significance”, unless one of several exceptions apply. The Act identifies six (6) “matters of national environmental significance”, namely: • the values of a declared World Heritage Property • the ecological character of a declared Ramsar Wetland • a listed threatened species or ecological community • a listed migratory species • “nuclear actions” • the marine environment A proponent whose action “falls into the above criteria” must firstly refer his/her application to the Commonwealth Environment Minister who will determine whether the proposed action requires approval under the Act. If the Minister determines an approval is required, the proposed action will proceed through the assessment and approved processes. 1.5.8 Sydney Water Catchment Management Act 1998 This Act established the Sydney Catchment Authority, which took over the Sydney Water Corporations Role as a supplier of bulk water. In addition to suppling water to the Sydney Water Corporation and other water authorities and local government bodies, the Authority is also responsible for: • Managing and protecting the catchment areas the dams and associated works that are vested

in it, or are under its control • Protecting and enhancing the quality of water supplies • Minimising risks to human health and preventing the degradation of the environment • Undertaking research on catchments generally, and the health of its catchment areas • Undertaking an educative role within the catchment 1.5.9 Ecologically Sustainable Development Ecologically Sustainable Development requires the effective integration of economic and environmental considerations on decision-making processes. Ecologically Sustainable Development can be achieved through the implementation of the following principles and programs: (a) the precautionary principle – namely, that if there are threats of serious of irreversible

environmental damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation.

In the application of the precautionary principles, public and private decisions should be guided by: i. careful evaluation to avoid, where practicable, serious of irreversible damage to the

environment, and

ii. an assessment of the risk-weighted consequences of various options


(b) intergenerational equity – namely, that the present generation should ensure that the health, diversity and productivity of the environment is maintained or enhanced for the benefit of future generations, and

(c) conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity – namely that conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity should be a fundamental consideration.

(d) Improved valuation, pricing and incentive mechanisms – namely that environmental factors should be included in the valuation of assets and services, such as:

i. polluter pays – that is, those who generate pollution and waste should bear the cost

of containment, avoidance or abatement

ii. the users of goods and services should pay prices based on the full lifecycle of costs providing goods and services, including the use of natural resources and assets and the ultimate disposal of any waste,

iii. environmental goals, having been established, should be pursued in the most cost

effective way, by establishing incentive structures including market mechanisms, that enable those best placed to maximize benefits or minimize costs to develop their own solutions and responses to environmental problems.


SECTION 2 - CURRENT STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT Oberon's proximity to world heritage listed Jenolan Caves, the Kanangra Boyd National Park, its sub-alpine climate, spectacular scenery and proximity to Sydney have contributed to the continuing growth of the town and the rural area.

2.1 OBERON POPULATION The total population in the Oberon Council area is about 5,030, with a relatively even distribution of population by age (ABS, Regional Statistics, 2006). Unofficially, the population of the Oberon Council area is approximately 5,200 as a result of the recent boundary adjustment with the former Evans Council area. 2.1% of the population are identified as being of Indigenous origin in the 2006 Census. This is slightly higher than the NSW state percentage of 1.9%. Most residents in the Oberon LGA were born in Australia (81.4%). This is high compared with New South Wales(69.9%) Females are in the minority in Oberon LGA, comprising 47.6% of the Oberon population This is lower than the NSW state percentage of 50.6%. However, the percentage increase in females over the period 1996 to 2001 is significantly higher (8.2%) than the percentage increase in males over the same period (2.59%) There are a higher percentage of one-parent families, persons separated and divorced on the Oberon LGA compared to the average for NSW.

2.2 CLIMATE The Oberon town, situated over 1,100 metres above sea level on the central tablelands, is sub-alpine and experiences a very different climate from both the western region and the coastal regions. The climate is characterised by plesantly mild summers and cold winters. Average summer temperatures range from 10 degrees mean daily minimum to 24.5 degrees mean daily maximum, and winter temperatures range from -2 degrees mean daily minimum to 10 degrees mean daily maximum. Annual rainfall of approximately 840 mm falls fairly evenly throughout the year. Frosts are common from about late April to late November. Snowfalls are a regular feature of Oberon's winter with falls ranging from 3 to 10 cm in the town and heavier falls occurring in higher areas around Shooters Hill, Gingkin and Black Springs. Areas above 900 metres A.H.D. have significant snowfalls

2.3 BIDOVERSITY 2.3.1 Managing Wildlife Corridors and Habitats The Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW) have stated there is a need to identify the significant wildlife habitats and the wildlife corridors that link them in order to maintain and promote biodiversity. Biological Diversity (or Biodiversity) encompasses the total variety of living organisms (plants, animals, fungi and microbes) on the earth, or in respect of any special part of the earth. The diversity of life is an irreplaceable asset to mankind as well as the biosphere. Biodiversity provides benefits which are essential for our long-term survival. It also provides options for addressing our future needs as human beings and has invaluable aesthetic, spiritual, educational and ecological benefits. (NPWS, 1992(a)).


Ecologically sustainable development is directly reliant upon successful protection of biodiversity. The concept of ecologically sustainable development revolves around utilising, conserving and enhancing resources so that ecological processes, on which life depends, are maintained. (NPWS, 1992(a)). The greater proportion of species diversity is likely to be made up of invertebrates and lower order plants, many of which are unknown. Consequently, an approach to conservation based entirely on species is clearly untenable. Management must be largely, though not exclusively, based on protecting habitats, whole ecosystems and ecological processes. (NPWS, 1992(a)). The conservation of National Parks, protected lands, forests, reserves, wetlands and the like are critical for the maintenance of biodiversity. Council has afforded effective statutory development control protection to such areas through provision of National Park and Environmental Protection Zones in the Oberon Local Environmental Plan 1998. Where site specific recordings of significant flora (which obviously provide habitat) are observed outside National Park and Environmental Protection Zones, statutory protection may be given by way of special provisions clauses and schedules in the Regional Local Environmental Plan. The Oberon Local Environmental Plan has designated significant areas of “Environmentally Sensitive Land” The provision of a practical Tree Preservation Order over the whole Council area and requirements for open space linkages as part of development consent conditions for subdivisions would also aid biodiversity. Council can also encourage and assist other land managers (other government agencies, companies and individuals) to implement sympathetic and compatible management of the land under their control, which will, as far as possible, maintain biodiversity. Council, however, has not taken any of these actions to date. The factors controlling vegetation distribution are: • The ability of species to reach an area, or to move through it • Ecological properties of the plants themselves • Habitat factors (including such features as other organisms, soil and its parent material, and

topography) • Time - particularly time since any event on either a geological or historical time frame which

has led to vegetation change Information on remnant vegetation is available from the NPWS. At this time however, mapping of remnant vegetation in the Oberon LGA is not readily available. A large portion of the Council area is occupied by National Park which is clearly a significant wildlife habitat. Other privately owned areas of remnant bushland are significant but have not been clearly listed and identified. The uncleared hills, ridge tops and valleys of grazing properties, roadside vegetation, pine forests, rivers and creeks may serve as wildlife corridors linking these significant wildlife habitats. These corridors also serve as a gateway into the native wildlife habitats for feral animals and weeds. Council has not taken any direct action to identify and then preserve the existing wildlife corridors. Other recognised wildlife habitats/corridors are: • Creeks, rivers and streams • Uncleared portions of grazing and farming properties • State and private pine forests 2.3.2 Unique Landscape and Vegetation Jenolan Caves Karst landscapes (caves) are primarily the result of chemical dissolution of limestone or some other soluble bedrock by acidic natural waters. The Oberon Council area's most famous Karst system is Jenolan Caves, a tourist attraction of both national and international identity. Karst areas


have been mapped by the Jenolan Caves Reserve Trust. The Jenolan Caves are listed as World Heritage Significant. Jenolan Caves are located 31 km south of Oberon. They are the most spectacular limestone caves in Australia, set within the Jenolan Caves Reserve, a 2,260 hectare World Heritage listed flora and fauna sanctuary. Nine of the 300 caves are open for show and cave tours are conducted every day of the year. An individual does not own the Jenolan Caves. They are the property of the people of New South Wales. The 1980's were very much a time of change for Jenolan as it also saw the establishment of the Jenolan Caves Reserve Trust. In 2004, the Jenolan Caves are now managed under the newly formed Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC). The Oberon Local Environmental Plan 1998, has a specific protection zone for the Jenolan Caves Reserve. The first human beings to enter the Jenolan Caves were aborigines, who knew them as Binoomea (holes in the hill). The first European discoverer of the caves was a run-away convict named James McKeown. McKeown had for several years prior to 1838 terrorised and robbed settlers along the Western Road in the Blue Mountains. In 1866, the New South Wales Government declared the caves and their environment a reserve. Wallabies, birds and other forms of wildlife abound in the Reserve and at present it is possible to go on nature walks led by experienced guides. Fundamental Karst processes are dependent upon the presence of "natural" acid waters which are in turn largely dependent upon the biological activity and composition of soil. Land managers must therefore recognise that appropriate soil and vegetation cover are required to successfully maintain Karst systems. Cave hydrology is directly related to surrounding vegetation cover. eg. studies of caves beneath adjacent pine and native forests in Yarrangobilly in NSW, suggests that the caves beneath the pines are much drier and that they have been damaged by dehydration and seem to contain less fauna than other caves. As stated by Kiernan (1988, p39): "Laws against killing or disturbing animals will not necessarily render them safe from the ill effects of a loss of food supply; from an increase in the frequency and severity of cave flooding; from a loss of water due to the choking of conduits by sediment; from changes in the cave atmosphere; from pollution of caves; or from excessive disturbance by human passers-by once a cave has been made more accessible by nearby development............" Maintenance of The Jenolan Caves Karst Systems and associated resources are directly dependent on the proper management of their systematic environments, viz: natural water flows and water chemistry, soil, overlying vegetation, geomorphology, atmosphere etc. Karst is the product of several interrelated elements, most of which will inevitably be affected by development and mismanagement (Kiernan, 1998). This direct Karst Management comes under the charter of Jenolan Caves Trust together with Council who as the development control authority has a significant responsibility. It is vital that Total Catchment Management (TCM) principles are adopted to afford protection to this important resource. The location of pine plantations should also be seriously monitored. A TCM approach, along with a realistic appraisal of tourist impact, is critical to the successful management of Karst systems. Kanangra Boyd National Park Kanangra Boyd National Park is approximately 68,276 ha of mostly rugged wilderness landscape. It is located about 130 km from the outskirts of Sydney metropolitan area and can be accessed by road via Katoomba, Jenolan Caves or Oberon. The park is bordered to the east, south and


partially to the west by the Blue Mountains National Park. Kanangra Boyd encompasses an extensive plateau and a deeply dissected valley system embracing a network of creeks and rivers. The park includes the catchments of the Kanangra, Jenolan and Kowmung rivers which form part of the catchment area for the Warragamba Dam and is one of its major sources of unpolluted water. The park adjoins the joint management area of Blue Mountains National Park which is co-operatively managed by the NPWS and the Sydney Catchment Authority. Water quality is therefore an important factor in park management. The park also lies to the east of the extensive Oberon plateau rural landscape which includes several economically important softwood plantations and value-adding timber industries. The relatively remote and unmodified condition of the park is increasingly sought by the community. The park provides significant opportunities for wilderness recreation and adventure activities which complement the scenic tourism opportunities in the Blue Mountains National Park. (NPWS, 1992). The significance of Kanangra Boyd National Park is summarised below: International Conservation Value The World Heritage Listed Areas of the Park includes significant geological structures and rock types, temperate and dry rainforest communities, and sub-alpine and swamp communities. Regional Ecological Value The Park is part of a chain of reserved lands which include Blue Mountains, Wollomai and Goulburn River National Parks. Together they constitute the largest conservation area in NSW and encompass habitats representative of both the central tablelands and the western slopes. Kanangra Boyd National Park provides opportunities for evolution and shifts in species ranges in response to climatic variations because of its considerable spatial and latitudinal expanse. The park includes cavernous karst environments which provide a significant geomorphological resource and habitats for a diversity of fauna, including important bat roosting sites. It also provides habitat for at least sixteen rare and endangered animals (as recognised under the NPWS Act, 1974) and a further ten rare species of arthropods. The Park encompasses a large tract of land which, in conjunction with World Heritage Listed Blue Mountains National Park, is recognised as having high wilderness value. The isolated Kowmung River is one of the last intact river systems in NSW. The National Park provides extensive opportunities for self reliant and low impact recreation in natural and wilderness settings. It also provides outstanding scenic opportunities including vistas of the Kowmung and Kanangra Wilderness areas. These values are highlighted by massive geophysical features (such as Kanangra Walls) associated with the Bindook, Werong and Boyd plateau. (NPWS, 1992).


SECTION 3 - IDENTIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT OF POLLUTED AREAS The recognised polluted areas have been divided into the following five (5) sections:

3.1 Land Rural Farm Chemical Disposal Environmental Protection Authority Licensed Polluters

Rural weed infestation Litter - roadside 3.2 Air Oberon Township air pollution

3.3 Water Stormwater Rural Water Pollution Water Quality Management 3.4 Noise Industrial Noise Pollution Management of Industrial Noise Pollution.

3.5 Waste Farm chemicals disposal

Landfill Waste Disposal Depots Storage and disposal sites of toxic and hazardous chemicals The Oberon Timber Complex maintains a 24/7 1800 community hotline (1800 802 795) to manage complaints. Eight (8) complaints regarding emissions and pollution were made during the January – December, 2008 Reporting Period. Six (6) related to air quality, one (1) with transport, nil with noise and nil with water quality.

3.1 LAND Rural Area - Farm Chemical Disposal Farm chemicals include crop protection products such as insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and plant growth regulators which assist in the production of crops, animal health products such as dips, drenches, antibiotics and other veterinary chemicals that maintain animal health or promote animal growth. The major issue in the disposal of farm chemicals is ensuring that the residue left in containers does not contaminate the environment, or pose a threat to human health, farm animals or wildlife. Council is involved with the Drum Muster program and clean farm chemical drums are able to be dropped off at the Oberon Waste Depot. Drum Master collects the drums which are recycled.

Environment Protection Authority Licensed Polluters DECCW is the appropriate regulatory authority for the activities specified in Schedule 1 of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act.


In most cases, Oberon Council is the regulatory authority for non-scheduled activities. Licences are no longer fixed-term annual licences, but remain in force until suspended, revoked or surrendered. The EPA must review the licence at least once every three years. Integration of EPA licensing with the development approval procedures under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, 1979 provides for public participation in the environmental assessment of activities that may be licensed by the EPA. A search of the Environmental Protection Authority’s database for Premises Licensed under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, revealed twelve licence- holders in the Oberon Local Government Area. Council is the A.R.A. for non-licenced premises. Rural Weed Infestation Although there are many plants which could be classed as weeds only those plants that have a detrimental effect or cause serious economic loss to agriculture or the environment (providing there is a reasonable and enforceable means of control) are considered as candidates for declaration of noxious weeds.

Weeds pose a serious threat to human and animal health, to primary production and to our

natural environment. The Upper Macquarie County Council’s area encompasses the Oberon Council area and exists to deal with the weed problems affecting the region’s agricultural lands. Rural Litter Oberon, like most rural areas, has a litter problem. The factors contributing to litter in Oberon are: • Roadside litter thrown/dumped by motorists or escaping from uncovered trailers, trucks and

utilities • Local rural residents dumping household waste in public litter bins on the main access roads

to the township • Pine bark and woodchip debris from log trucks, pine bark and woodchip trucks • Indiscriminate dumping of litter in State Forests, National Parks and other rural areas The Council actively participates in litter reduction campaigns, Clean-Up Australia Day and Spring clean-ups.

3.2 AIR Oberon Township - Air Pollution Air quality is the character of the atmospheric environment. It relates to such factors as climate, wind direction, odour, dust and chemical components. The factors influencing air quality within the vicinity of the Oberon township and surrounds are: • Movements of motor vehicles, trucks and timber trucks along roads and within industrial yards

and factory complexes. • Wind-borne dust and sawdust during dry periods, particularly from bare areas on rural

properties and industrial yards. • Smoke and odour from fuel combustion boilers within factory premises licensed to pollute by

the Environment Protection Authority.


• Smoke and odours from solid fuel heaters. Inappropriate fuels, weather conditions and starving of oxygen for overnight use can contribute to incomplete combustion with particle emissions and odours. Location of flues adjacent to two-storey buildings results in smoke causing a nuisance at the adjoining premises. In Oberon, with its sub-alpine climate, large amounts of solid fuels are used every year. Many poorly designed existing dwellings have such heaters burning for six (6) months constantly.

• Fibre fallout from factory premises licensed to pollute by the Environment Protection Authority.

Council has received consistent complaints regarding fibre fallout emanating from the Carter Holt Harvey MDF plant on Lowes Mount Road which are premises licensed to pollute. The factories concerned appear to cause a permanent fibre fallout with the nuisance levels to residents apparently reliant upon prevailing weather conditions.

• Steam and vapour from timber reconditioning and seasoning kilns. • Annual pollen dumps from local vegetation particularly by intensive plantings of pine forests,

unkept land close to town and pasture crops, contribute to hay fever and asthma suffering. This impact is difficult to quantify but definitely has an environmental impact that, for some, is particularly debilitating.

Oberon has regular rural air quality monitoring carried out as part of a national program. The results of this monitoring are publicly available from the “Oberon Review” newspaper. It is estimated that at least 80% of dwellings and commercial premises in Oberon and the village of Black Springs have wood heaters. Domestic wood heaters are operated almost all year round due to the cold climate. Wood smoke is generally dispersed by local wind conditions, but occasionally inversions trap the smoke over the town. Complaints are regularly received by Council regarding wood smoke pollution from neighbouring properties. Investigations of these complaints reveals the reason is generally due to the type of fuel burnt, the method of setting the fire and the age/condition and type of the heater. Much of the housing stock in Oberon dates from the 1950s and 1960s, containing original wood heaters. Many of these houses are poorly designed for the climate and have little or no insulation. In late 2003, the Oberon Council investigated the viability of being part of the Woodsmoke Reduction Program (Department of Environment and Conservation). Other Local Councils in the area such as Lithgow and Bathurst have been running this program for a number of years. The Woodsmoke Reduction Program aims to help get the most out of heating, whether for residential, commercial or industrial users. The Program involves an integrated approach to reducing woodsmoke including:

• a cash incentive to help residents replace their old wood heaters with cleaner alternatives • community education on the environmental and health impacts of woodsmoke and the

efficient operation of wood heaters • smoky chimney surveys and enforcement measures

The Oberon Council however, rejected this program, due to limited resources.


3.3 WATER Council’s aim is to provide an adequate supply of sufficient drinking water to the residents of Oberon and to supply sufficient water to meet the requirements of the industries in Oberon. The town’s water supply to residential, commercial and industrial area is carried in a reticulation system supplied by two reservoirs and 33,130m of pipeline. Water at the Oberon Water Treatment Plant is treated from the Fish River Water Supply. Stormwater The existing stormwater system in the township of Oberon includes a network of some 15,460m of pipes and 565 pits. Council has assessed that the stormwater system is to a satisfactory standard. Urban stormwater runoff can be a major source of pollution. The most common components include litter, coarse sediments, fine suspended material, oxygen depleting material, micro-organisms, nutrients, heavy metals, and weed seed. It causes damage to the receiving waterways, increases turbidity, sedimentation, siltation, and increases nutrient loads and eutrophication. Stormwater from licensed polluters is known to discharge into a local water course. Polluted surface water overflows during periods of heavy rain from the site into stormwater drains adjacent to the site. The Environment Protection Authority is the responsible regulatory authority with this locality. Sediment loss and erosion from cleared sites, such as ploughed paddocks, building sites, subdivisions and road construction sites is a large issue and current practise allows the environment to be degraded. With commitment, policies and allocation of resources, Council can control the building sites, subdivisions and road construction sites as other NSW councils do. The rural problem, it is felt, is better addressed by the Department of Land and Water Conservation and the Department of Agriculture. Council has recently developed and adopted a Stormwater Management Plan which should be referred to. There is an identified need to implement better erosion and sediment control measures on rural roads. Council has implemented a program for the sealing of gravel roads within the LGA. Rural Water Polution Rural water quality within the wider Oberon area is generally perceived to have deteriorated over time. Scientific data is deficient and limited. Council data contains the only known indication. Several private water supplies sampled and tested by the Council have failed to meet the National Health and Medical Research Council standards for drinking water. The indicators noted are: • Microbiologically - Total Coliforms, Faecal Coliforms, Escherichia Coli • Chemical and Physical Soil erosion and stormwater runoff is not well controlled in the Oberon area. It causes increased turbidity, sedimentation of receiving waters, siltation of cave systems and contributes to water eutrophication due to elevated nutrient loads. Summer blue-green algae blooms have occurred in the Oberon area (notably the Fish River below Council's Sewage Treatment Plant) and management of industrial, urban and rural effluents to minimise discharges of nutrient rich waters is required.


Water Quality Management The Oberon Council area is made up of undulating to mountainous country with limited areas of flood liable land. The drainage system is complex and includes the following rivers and tributaries:

� The Abercrombie River, which forms the southern boundary of the council area

� The Campbells River, which is on the council’s western boundary

� The Fish River, which rises to the south of the town of Oberon and flows through Lake Oberon to join the Macquarie River on the Council area’s north-western boundary

� The Duckmaloi River, which rises to the south-east of Oberon and flows northwards on

the eastern side of the council area

� The Kowmung River, which flows to the east mainly through the National Park and inaccessible country

� The Coxs River and its tributary the Jenolan River, which together drain much of the

eastern section of the council area There are four (4) water catchment areas. These catchments provide an important water supply to a number of major and minor consumers. Catchment Management Committees have been established for each catchment and have adopted the principles of Total Catchment Management. The Committees purpose is generally “to help achieve a healthy and productive catchment in which resources are useable and sustainable in harmony with both environmental values and community needs." The Sydney Catchment Authority and Drinking Water Catchments REP 1 apply to that part of the Oberon Council area east of the Great Dividing Range. The Oberon LGA contains four defined water catchment areas, being:

1. Central West Catchment and Wollondilly River Catchment 2. Coxs River Catchment 3. Lachlan River Catchment 4. Fish River Water Supply

These catchments provide an important water supply to a number of major and minor consumers. The two principal catchments serving the Fish River Water Supply are the Oberon Dam Catchment and the Duckmaloi Weir Catchment, collectively encompassing 250km² of land south of the township of Oberon. As of December 2009 the Oberon Dam Level was about 13% and falling. 1 Central West Catchment

The Central West Catchment Management Board (CWCMB) covers an area of 92,200km² and includes the catchments of Macquarie, Cudgegong, Bogan and Castlereagh Rivers as part of the Murray Darling Basin in NSW.

Natural resource management in New South Wales will undergo an historic change following the recommendations of the Native Vegetation Reform Implementation Group.

A key component of the reform program is the establishment of Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs). In January, 2004, CMAs were formally constituted as statutory authorities with a responsible and accountable board. CMA boards will report directly to the Minister for Infrastructure and Planning and Minister for Natural Resources. Thirteen CMAs will be established. The Oberon LGA is situated at the Upper Catchment of the


catchment areas and is covered predominantly by the Central West CMA and partly by the Lachlan CMA and the Sydney Catchment Authority (SCA) to the east

The CMAs will engage regional communities in the key natural resource management issues facing their catchment

Agriculturally the region is highly diverse which adds to the complexity of natural resource management issues. Grazing industries dominate the eastern highlands and western plains, extensive winter cropping on the central west slopes and inner plains, intensive viticulture and horticulture around Mudgee, Orange and Bell river floodplain, irrigated cotton and other summer crops on the Macquarie River floodplain. Forestry industries based on softwood plantations in the eastern highlands are also important. Mining activities are carried out in the eastern highlands (gold, copper, coal) and on the western margin (copper, gold, base metals).

Major threats to the health of natural resources in the Central West Catchment include dryland salinity, declining surface water quality, declining health and abundance of native vegetation, degradation of riparian and wetland ecosystems and deteoriation of the soil resource.

2 Cox's River Catchment

The Cox's River Catchment Management Committee (C.M.C.) was formed in response to community concerns over environmental issues and planning problems. The Cox’s River is a significant part of the Warragamba Catchment, which covers an area of approximately 10.030km² extending from the Mulwaree River Catchment in the south to the Cox’s River in the north. It includes wstorages on the Upper Nepean River and the rivers and streams that flow into the Lake Burragorang, principally the Wollondilly, Nattai and Cox’s Rivers. The headwaters of the Cox’s River also supplies three other reservoirs – Thompson Creek Dam, Lake Lyell and Lake Wallace – that are part of the Wallerawang and Lower Portland power station schemes and supply 23% of the State’s power.

3 Lachlan River Catchment

The Lachlan River Catchment covers an area of 84 700km² extending from the western perimeter of the Great Divide in the east to the vast Riverine Plains in the west. The Lachlan Catchment has an estimated population greater than 100 000, producing approximately 14% of NSW agricultural production from a land area of approximately 10% of NSW. The Catchment encompasses the areas of 23 local government organizations.

4 Fish River Water Supply

The Fish River Scheme comprises a dam and a weir for raw water supply, as well as reservoirs, 236km of pipelines, four pumping stations, a tunnel, chlorinator and clarification points for water transfer and reticulation to customers. The scheme provides bulk water to four major customers, including the Sydney Catchment Authority, Delta Electricity, Greater Lithgow Council and Oberon Council. It also has approximately 356 minor consumers and properties adjacent to the pipelines. Under an agreement with the Fish River Scheme, the SCA purchases about 3,650 megalitres each year. The Fish River Water Supply is a NSW Government trading enterprise, operating under the Water Management Act 2000.


The Fish River Water Supply (F.R.W.S.) Scheme is a trading undertaking of the New South Wales Government which provides water to the Oberon Council area, Greater Lithgow City Council, Pacific Power and the Water Board.

The two principal catchments serving the F.R.W.S. are the Oberon Dam Catchment and the Duckmaloi Weir Catchment, collectively encompassing 250 sq. kms. of land south of the township of Oberon.

In summary, the issues identified as relevant to these Catchment Management Committees are: Water • high nutrient level • increasing salt concentration • increasing turbidity • streambank degradation • dwindling fish numbers and species

Soil

• dry land and irrigation salinisation • rising local and regional water tables • erosion • acidification • structural decline

Vegetation • loss of species diversity • decline of natural remnant vegetation • die back • noxious weed and animal infestation • dwindling native grasslands

Native Fauna • loss of habitat • loss of species diversity • competition from domestic species • depredation by noxious animals • salinity increasing in enclosed water bodies Urban and Industrial • conflicting land use demands through urban development • siting of intensive farm and secondary industries • mining and extractive industries • garbage, sewerage and waste disposal

Council recognised the potential for algal blooms in the Fish River and has participated in a combined campaign with eight (8) other councils of the region to make the community aware of the benefits of reducing phosphorus discharge into the river system.


3.4 NOISE Noise Pollution The noise pollution within the Oberon township is of major concern. The overall aim is to allow the need for industrial activity to be balanced with the desire for quiet in the community. The NSW Industrial Noise Policy (EPA, Jan 2000), seeks to promote environmental well-being through preventing an minimizing noise. It provides the framework and process for deriving noise limit conditions for consents and licences that will enable the DECCW to regulate premises that are scheduled under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997. Responsibility for applying policy lies with the land use planner, land use managers and regulators and the noise source proponent and manager. The policy is specifically aimed at assessing noise from industrial sources scheduled under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act, 1997. It is used as a guide by DEC officers for setting statutory limits in licences for these sources. Local government is an independent regulator for noise under the legislation and has discretion in dealing with noise within its area of responsibility. Individual noise performance levels are specified for all operations at the Oberon Timber Complex, through noise limits specified in individual Environment Protection Licences. The Oberon Timber Complex Annual Environmental Management Report 2008, summarises the various noise limits for the different operations within the Complex.


Table 1 Noise Limits Under EPA Licences

LA10(15minute) Noise Level (dBA)

Day Evening Night

Site Receptor Location

(7am - 6pm) (6pm - 10pm) (10pm - 7am)

Any residential premises within Oberon 45 40 35

CHH & Residential areas adjacent to Oberon Industrial Area 50 45 40

MDF & OMO Dwellings with th Oberon Industrial Area 55 50 45

Any residential premises within Oberon 46 41 41

CHH Residential areas adjacent to Oberon Industrial Area 51 46 45

Structafloor Dwellings with th Oberon Industrial Area 56 51 51

Residential areas within Oberon and neighbouring 46 41 41

HPP rural areas

Sawmills Residential areas adjacent to Industrial areas of 51 46 45

main roads

Residenices with Industrial areas 56 51 51

HPP

LOSP Plant At any affetced premises 40 35 30

Residential areas within Oberon 45 40 35

Jeld-wen Residential areas adjacent to industrial areas or 50 45 40

main roads

Dwellings within Oberon industrial area 55 50 45

Residential areas within Oberon 45 40 35

Woodchem Residential areas adjacent to industrial areas or 50 45 40

main roads

Dwellings within Oberon industrial area 55 50 45

The noise pollution within the Oberon township has been identified as being of major concern. Wind and temperature inversions impact on the noise problems experienced by residents of the Oberon Village and rural areas. This needs further consideration as it may not be possible for existing industry to meet emission levels and the proximity of this industry has an affect on Oberon. There are two issues that need to be considered. The first are the requirements of the development consent and whether or not these conditions are being exceeded. If this is the case, it may require that action be taken to enforce compliance. The second point is as to whether the industry can realistically meet the set levels. It is critical for Oberon that the timber industry continues. Common ground needs to be found that will satisfy Council, the community and the industry requirements. There is a need to determine the noise levels in the receiver areas resulting from the noise emissions from the timber industry during each of the time periods (night time/daytime). The methodology used previously has altered and changes to the Industrial Noise Policy need to be taken into consideration with reviewed monitoring, specifically in relation to sleep disturbance.


To limit the continuing noise levels the maximum ambient noise sources should not normally exceed the acceptable levels as specified in the table below. Reference to the Table 2.1 of the Environmental Protection Authority's "Industrial Noise Manual, 1999" provides the recommended background noise levels appropriate for various areas. The recommended LAeq background noise levels dB(A) are: Table 2 Amenity Criteria Recommended Noise levels from Industrial Noise Sources

Type of Receiver Indicative Noise Amenity Area

Time of Day Recommended Laeq. Noise Level, dB(A) (see Note 8)

Acceptable (See Note 11)

Recommended Max.(See Note 11)

Residence Rural

Day 50 55

Evening 45 50

Night 40 45 Suburban Day 55 60

Evening 45 50 Night 40 45

Urban Day 60 65 Evening 50 55 Night 45 50

Urban/Industrial Interface – for existing situations

Day 65 70

Evening 55 60

Night 50 55

School classroom – internal All Noisiest 1 hour period when in use

35 (See Note 10)

40

Hospital Ward -internal -external

All All

Noisiest 1 hour period Noisiest 1 hour period

35 50

40 55

Place of worship – internal All When in use 40 45

Area specifically reserved for passive recreation (eg. National Park)

All When in use 50 55

Active recreation area (eg. school playground, golf course)

All When in use 55 60

Commercial premises All When in use 65 70

Industrial premises All When in use 70 75

Notes:

Note 8: The LAeq noise level for a specific period represents the LAeq level calculated or measured over the applicable day, evening or night period except where otherwise stated (for example, school classroom, hospital). Note 10: In the case where existing schools are affected by noise from existing industry noise sources the acceptanle LAeq noise level may be increased to 4dBLAeq (1Hour)

Note 11: The acceptable and recommended maximum LLAeq noise levels can be provided as a guide to applying the negotiation process. While negotiation between the proponent and the community for an agreed noise level can occur at any time, typically the proponant would negotiate with the EPA where noise levels emissions fall between the acceptable and recommended maximum. For site levels beyond the recommended maximum levels, the proponent would need to negotiate directly with the community.

These levels represent the current best practice for assessing industrial noise sources. In some instances it may not be possible to achieve the recommended maximum noise level, even after feasible and reasonable noise mitigation is applied. Where a proposed development exceeds the recommended maximum noise levels detailed in the above table, substantial benefits in other areas , including a high degree of social worth, would need to be demonstrated. Where the existing noise level from the industrial noise source, is close to the acceptable noise level , the noise level(s) from any new source(s) must be controlled to preserve the amenity of the area. If the total noise level already exceeds the acceptable noise level for the area in question, the LAeq noise level from any new source should not be greater than: • 10dB below the acceptable noise level if there is a reasonable expectation that the existing

levels may be reduced in the future; or


• 10dB below the existing noise level if there is no such reasonable expectation that existing levels will fall (for example , in cases where surrounding areas are fully developed) and no significant changes to land use are expected.

While there is an obligation on the industry to meet emission levels, further development close to the industry could make this impossible and jeopardize the future of the industry. The timber industry underpins the local economy and its continuation is essential to the economic future of the Oberon Local Government Area. It is therefore essential that the exposure to noise from existing industry on new development is limited. This may be addressed by suitable buffers, zonings and continued open dialogue with industry to reduce impacts. It is recommended that a review of the available, actual noise data be undertaken to create noise contours for the following scenarios:

1. neutral weather 2. various weather conditions

It is recommended that an acoustic specialist be engaged to undertake this work. As Council is not prepared to fund this work at this time, funding may be available from the local timber industry. Council was successful in obtaining funding from the Department of Planning in the third round of the Plan First Planning Reform Funding Program to fund Council in the preparation of its Local Environmental Study and Local Environmental Strategies which will eventually inform a new, comprehensive, Shire wide Local Environmental Plan. One of the milestones in the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Council and the Department of Planning will require Industrial Noise Modelling for the township of Oberon. The aim of the modelling is to provide an acoustic report including data and analysis to assist in land use planning. It will also validate existing data and develop modelling for future industrial development, taking into account the existing noise environment, cumulative impacts and comparing these with relevant criteria.

3.5 WASTE Landfill Waste Disposal Depots As a major provider of waste collection services, the Oberon Council needs to ensure that citizens are aware of the environmental consequences of waste disposal, as well as the benefits of avoiding, reducing and recycling wastes. Council should also develop sustainable solutions that will minimize the generation of wastes. Domestic waste collection is available within town limits. In relation to the smaller estates throughout the LGA, a contract waste collection service is available. At present, Council does not provide a recycling service. Oberon Council Depot (Lowes Mount Road) is the major waste depot for the LGA and is located 5km from Oberon. It accepts solid waste, hazardous waste, inert waste and pre-sorted recyclables

Future planning instruments should ensure that the Oberon Council Waste Depot is zoned appropriately so as to protect it from further land use conflict.

Council Transfer Stations at Burraga and Black Springs are currently open on a limited basis only. Storage and disposal sites of toxic and hazardous chemicals • Council Waste Depot - Lowes Mount Road – only accepted by arangement.

• Council Transfer Stations - Black Springs and Burraga – not accepted.

• Agricultural chemicals and on-site disposal of containers – only accepted at the Council depot by arrangement.


• Fuel Depots - Petrol Stations

- Council Depot

- Transport Companies

- Bulk storage of fuel on rural properties.

• Industries - bulk chemical storage

• Council Pool - chlorine storage facilities.


SECTION 4 - IDENTIFIED PRESSURES ON THE ENVIRONMENT

4.1 FORESTRY The following history of the Forestry industry is based on information documented in Oberon-Jenolan District Historical Notebook (Wheeler, J. et. al, 1969). The timber industry had its foundation in the gold rush era when it is believed that seeds of the radiata or Monterey pine were brought to Australia by some of the immigrant miners. The Monterey pine was well suited to plantation production in the climatic conditions Oberon had to offer. In 1918 and 1930, large areas of land were reserved for forestry purposes - Vulcan, Jenolan and Gurnang State Forests. Planting of pines first commenced in the district following the establishment of a prison farm at Gurnang in 1930. The first plantings took place in 1931 under an arrangement between the Forestry Commission and the Prisons Department. Plantings were halted during the years of the Second World War. Until this time, a number of small mills operated in the district to supply the building needs of the settlers. The mills were relocated from place to place as the demand or availability of logs varied. The Second World War, whilst interrupting the plantings of pine, also initiated the development of the hardwood industry. The mines at Broken Hill had their traditional supplies of oregon interrupted by the war and an alternative source needed to be found. H.L.C. Cotton and Son selected Oberon as the best natural sources of hardwood mine timber available the local native forrests were deciminated. They also took into account the existence of pine plantations when they made their decision to establish Timber Industries Pty. Ltd. The mill came into production in 1944. Pine milling commenced in 1956. Colonial Sugar Refining Co. Ltd. (CSR) commenced construction of a "Pyneboard Plant" in 1959. The plant started operating in 1960 and contributed greatly to the viability of the industry by consuming small logs removed during thinning. Previously, these logs were burnt. There is now a large modern sawmill (highland Pine Products), a Medium Density Fibreboard Factory (Customwood – Cater Holt Harvey), a Resin Factory (Woodchem) and an MDF Doorskin Factory (Jeldwin). Planting is carried out in winter. About 60 percent of the area is planted using special planting machines and the remainder by gangs of men using spades. The seedlings are planted 2.5 m. apart along rows 3 m. apart, to give 1,350 trees per hectare. If the land has been well prepared, little further attention is needed as the pines grow and develop over the next 7 to 8 years. Some weed control may be required in the first year or so. Clear felling of the stand is carried out at the end of the rotation, usually at about 30 years, when the 160 or so very large trees remaining on each hectare are removed. A new crop of pines is then established on the area. The mean annual growth of radiata pine timber in the Oberon plantations is about 17 cu.m. per hectare, or over 750 metres of useable timber in the course of a 45 year rotation. A sharp upturn in new home building had a very positive impact on State Forests business activities during 2001/02, underpinning a strong recovery in the performance of both hardwood and softwood timber operations. Softwood Plantations sales figures bounced back strongly, due in part of the First Home Owner’s Grant and a generally supportive economic environment

1

This is a cyclical trend and building activity directly affects this industry.


Information provided by State Forests also indicates that there is the potential for a new market for 200,000 tonnes of pulplog. Future planning instruments need to ensure provide assurances to the timber industry in terms of protection from land use conflict, so that these types of new industries can be fostered. At a meeting held in May 2004, with representative from the Oberon Timber Complex, this 200,000t resource was confirmed. Additional information given at the meeting suggested that the industry was currently harvesting well below the resource potential and that this was “not doing the best thing by the forest” and could potentially affect forest viability. The following statistics provide an overall view of the importance of the forestry industry to the Oberon ecomony: • Forestry, and particularly the management, production and processing of timber from raidata

pine plantations, is a major industry and regioanl economic driver within the Central Tablelands of NSW and Oberon Local Government area in particular

• Currently 95% of timber from the Central Tablelands area is processed at the mills in Oberon.

The current volume of timber used by the mills in Oberon is approximately 1M tonnes/annum. The main products are structural framing timber for the housing market and fibre-based products such as MDF.

• 10% OF Australia’s new homes are constructed from State Forest’s plantations in the Central

Tablelands of NSW • In the Oberon Council area State Forests manages 44,818 hectares of which 33,415 hectares

is pine plantation and 8,079 hectares is native vegetation. • The long-term timber supply from plantations in the Central Tablelands of NSW is

approximately 1.25M tonnes per annum. Most of this timber is predicted to be milled at Oberon

• The Oberon Timber Complex currently employs (directly) approximately 600 people who are

involved in timber processing and manufacturing operations. • Employment generated by both State Forests operations and the Oberon Timber Complex is

approximately 870 (2004). Using a multiplier of 2.1 (provided by State Forests 2004), employment created by State Forests is expected to be approximately 1820

It is evident that forest-based industries (forestry, forestry contracting and forestry and timber processing operations) are a vital component of the Oberon economy. Problems associated with the road haulage of timber were seen as the main disadvantage of the expansion of forestry-based industries. Also of note were concerns relating to increased noise, air and water pollution resulting from the expansion of the industry. State Forests seek to maintain forestry as a development which may be carried out without the consent of Council in rural areas. The State Forests has also made reference to its need to maintain ease of use of gravel pits within areas of state forest. DECCW and State Forests officers plan and implement logging operations in state forests and on private land. The harvest plan is the document by which the merits of the operation are judged and on which conditions of authority will be based. Plans are intended to mitigate against erosion which might lead to soil movement and water turbidity and sedimentation in excess of natural levels. Recent NSW State Budget announcements included the privatisation of some 230,000ha of NSW State Forest Plantations. At this stage it is not know how much of this is within the Oberon Local Government Area and a qualification of the direct impacts on the Oberon economy.


4.2 AGRICULTURE Agriculture is an important economic activity in Oberon and is a major stress on the local environment. Information supplied by the Australian Bureau of Statistics is available on the gross value of various commodities to The Oberon Council area. Oberon LGA has an area of 290,820 hectares and about 37% of this land used agriculturally. From Council’s figures it can be calculated that 52% of the LGA comprises farmland > 40ha. Of this, 20% comprises farmland greater than or equal to 450ha. There is a total of 65 properties making up the 20% greater than or equal to 450has, giving an average property size of some 900ha. Of the properties between 40ha and 450ha (733 properties), an average size of 130ha can be calculated. Agriculture is an important land use and industry in the Oberon area. It contributes $16 million to the regional and NSW economy. It occupies some 110,291 hectares (38%) of the land area of the Shire and employs some 294 people (14%) of the workforce It is a dynamic and changing business environment with intensive grazing enterprises as well as some historic horticultural and intensive agricultural development that give a clear example of the potential for sustainable development and growth in the agricultural sector of the shire There is a need to provide for intergenerational transfer and due to the distances that some farms are away from urban settlements, to facilitate such transfer requires the next generation to reside on the farm. During the preparation of the Draft Land Use Issues Paper, the Department of Primary Industries foreshadowed a desire to lift the minimum lot size substantially in rural areas. At present there is no minimum lot size and concessional lots varying from 2ha to 40ha have been permissible prior to the introduction of the Rural Lands State environmental Planning Policy in 2008 which repealed the subdivision clauses in Council’s Local Environmental Plan 1998, with one residual lot being greater than 40ha. A minimum lot size of 100ha has been discussed by Council for the new Comprehensive Local Environmental Plan but it remains to be seen whether or not the NSW Department of Planning will accept this proposed new minimum lot size for subdivision.. Given Council’s statistics that there are only 65 properties with land holdings above 450ha and some 733 properties of land holdings between 40ha and 450ha, it would be realistic to require a minimum lot size of 100ha. The average lot size of those properties between 40ha and 450ha is 130ha, while the average size of the larger holdings above 450ha is 900ha. The average size of all properties above 40ha is 190ha. Clearly a 100ha minimum lot size is not excessive and is supported by Council and the community. Whilst intensive agriculture (e.g. cattle feed lots) does not currently feature in Oberon, Council recognises the sensitivity of such developments to surrounding land uses; most notably, the impact of residential and rural-residential subdivisions. The Oberon Local Environmental Plan (LEP) 1998 provides for : • The protection of the prime agricultural land of the Council area from fragmentation • The location of rural-residential allotments and rural small holdings where they will have

minimal effect on agriculture • Flexibility of the L.E.P. to allow creation of small allotments which, in the future, may be

required for intensive agriculture • Limits the number and size of lots which can be excised from an “original holding"


4.3 URBAN GROWTH, RURAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT There is a recognised pressure in the area from Sydney based investment and the need for development and change. Central to landuse planning is the identification of the core resources required for sustainable development over time. Once identified, these resources should be appropriately zoned and protected to promote sustainable development. Any future zoning should also consider the standards required to promote and realistically support the objectives of the zone. In the 2003/2004 year, the Development Department undertook a review of the Council Exempt Developments Policy. This has since been dramatically affected by the introduction of State Environmental Planning Policy ( Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008.The Oberon Local Environmental Plan was reviewed and minor housekeeping amendments made. The implementation of Council’s DCP 2001 continued. Statistics from Oberon Council’s Development Department show a slight decrease in development activity over the period 2007 to July 2008, with a 1% decrease in Development Applications, a 4% decrease in Construction Certificates, a 5% decrease in Subdivision Certificates, and a 3% increase in Exempt Development. Over all, there has been a 7% decrease in total developments over the period 2003 to 2004. Although the statistics provided do not categorise the developments, it would be reasonable to assume that a high proportion of the Development Applications would be related to residential dwellings. Also, an increasing number of Exempt Developments are being submitted to Council. Apart from the main township of Oberon, there are several other smaller villages that make up the LGA’s population base. Council has recognised the urgent need to provide extensions to the town boundary to provide additional quality residential, community and recreational lands within the Oberon town.

4.4 NATURAL DISASTERS/HAZARDS 4.4.1 Bush Fires Council recognises bush fires as having significant potential impact upon the whole Local Government Area and the environment. The potential for damage to the large areas of National Park and pine forest plantations could be devastating ecologically and economically. Council contributes annually approximately $45-50,000 to bushfire protection. The local Fire Control Officer, the town brigade and nineteen (19) volunteer bush fire brigades all play a role in bush fire control and prevention. Council's Fire Control Officer has recently prepared a draft Plan that identifies areas of high fire hazard. This, when refined and completed, will ensure that development will be planned to take account of the bush fire threat. Furthermore the Oberon Council and the NSW Rural Fire Service has prepared a Bushfire Prone Land Map which identifies land in relation to bushfire risk within the Shire. 4.4.2 Flood The Oberon State Emergency Services Draft Local Flood Plan was prepared in 1993 and was reviewed in 1997. The Flood Plan has now become a Sub-Plan of the Oberon Local Disaster Plan, due to the fact that the Oberon area has only minor problems with flooding. However, warning times are short and all streams tend to rise and fall very quickly. Much of the flooding that occurs is “flash” flooding.


According to the Draft Oberon Local Flood Plan, 1993, there are no large flood prone areas within the Oberon LGA, although properties and houses in various river valleys may be affected by flooding. The Flood Plan is currently being reviewed by the State Emergency Service, in conjunction with the owners of the Oberon Dam and the Oberon Local Emergency Management Committee (OLEMC). Due to the fact that there is very little flooding occurring in the Oberon LGA, a Flood Map has not been prepared. The Oberon State Emergency Services has advised however, that it now has access to GIS mapping information and will be able to produce a suitable flood map.

4.5 RECREATION AND TOURISM Oberon has much to offer visitors to the area. At less than three (3) hours drive from Sydney and Canberra the spectacular scenery and natural attrations, combined with the local history and arts. Almost from the time of discovery of the Devil's Coach House, Oberon became the gateway to the Jenolan Caves and a popular tourist area. The importance of maintaining "Karst" systems is detailed elsewhere in this report. The most extreme impacts of tourism are probably experienced at Jenolan Caves which receive around 280,000 visitors annually. Here, major cave cleaning programmes have had to be established. There are three (3) National Parks with in the Oberon area, two of which make up part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Listing, along with the Jenolan Caves Reserve. The pine forests also add to the scenic vista of the area contrasting the rolling fields of grazing pastures dotted with grazing sheep and cattle, giving a "Christmas Tree" touch when tipped with snow as occasionally they are in the winter months. Kilometres of trout streams are open for fishing between the months of September and May, whilst trout fishing all year is permitted on the Oberon Dam. Other activities that take in the natural beauty of the area include fossicking, for both gold and gemstones, horse riding and bush walking. Oberon hosts the Daffodil Festival in September each year as a community celebration of spring, centered on the magnificent cool climate gardens of the area and its local history and culture. Roads to Jenolan Caves and Kanangra Walls bring them within easy travelling distance. Other caves within easy distance are the Abercrombie Caves and the Tuglow and Colong Caves which are only accessible to keen and experienced cave explorers. "There are serious problems at Jenolan with traffic flows, car parking, cave dirtying, catering, accommodation for visitors and staff, and enormous pollution risks that are exacerbated by the confined topography of the resort" (Kiernan, K. 1988). These problems pose many difficulties for the present and future management of the area.

4.6 ENERGY Oberon's cold sub-alpine winters highlight heating when energy consumption is considered. From a domestic viewpoint this is a major energy use and high cost to the community with many poorly designed buildings requiring constant heating for up to 6 months of the year. Council recognises this and actively promotes energy-efficient housing. Energy efficiency means gaining maximum output for minimum input of energy. An energy- efficient building, designed in accordance with the proven principles of passive solar architecture, is one which the greatest possible effect is gained from energy used. A passive solar house uses and stores freely available energy from the sun, and minimises consumption of electrical, gas, wood fuel, or other energy.


4.7 TRANSPORT The Forestry Industry and Oberon Timber Complex generate significant traffic associated with raw materials delivery, employees, visitors, product and waste removal. Local roads used as key routes include O’Connell Road, Shooters Hill Road, Duckmaloi Road, Abercrombie Road, Lowes Mount Road, Hazelgrove Road, Campbells River Road and Dog Rocks Road The Great Western Highway is the major transport route connecting Sydney with Central and Western New South Wales. Between Oberon and Sydney, the Great Western Highway passes through the City of Blue Mountains, where the highway has been progressively upgraded by the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA), to provide a minimum four lane standard roadway east of Katoomba. West of Katoomba, traffic volumes are generally lower. Information from the 2001 Census of Population and Housing highlights the importance of using the road system and the primary method of traveling to work. The statistics indicate that approximately 63.1% of people traveled to work by car, either as a driver or passenger. 6.2% of people rode a bike or walked to work. (This compares to the NSW figures of 60.3% of persons who traveled by car as either driver or passenger and 4.8% of people who rode a bike or walked to work). It is important to note that no persons took the train or bus to work in the Oberon LGA, compared with the NSW State percentage of 1.5%. Therefore, one of the most important considerations in rural development relates to local rural roads, particularly in maintaining an adequate standard given the overall lengths of roads, terrain and rate and fund restrictions. The Logging Infrastructure Study Report was prepared in 2001 and presents road characteristic assessments and roadworks- needs evaluations to provide transport infrastructure capable of supporting the regional timber industry. Investment in roads to provide a suitable standard for industry transportation needs, leads to an assurance for the industry to be able to get raw product to processing plants and processed product to market.The cost of transportation of raw timber and processed product is closely related to the quality of the roads used for access. Transport over poor quality roads costs more than over good roads Several representations have been made questioning the adequacy of the road network to properly provide for the traffic generated by the industry in Oberon.

4.8 INDUSTRY AND MANUFACTURING The dominant industries in the Oberon area are the softwood timber industries and agriculture. Reference should be made to the sections 4.1 and 4.2 of this report. Transport and tourism are other major industries and are addressed in sections 4.5 and 4.7 of this report. Noise impacts, fibre fallout, odours, and heavy vehicle transport are of concern and will require ongoing surveillance by the Council. Resources to do this surveillance are, however, limited and need addressing. The State Government regulatory authorities are proving to have little success in addressing the pollution problems emanating from the offending industries. (see list in Section 3.4) Industry has indicated that there is the potential for a new market for 200,000 tonnes of pulplog. Future planning instruments need to ensure provide assurances to the timber industry in terms of protection from land use conflict, so that these types of new industries can be fostered. In conjunction with other expansion opportunities available to the industry, the realisation of this 200,000t resource would require extensions to the Complex, however, current development


planning does not provide for the certainty that is required by the industry to invest in the realization of additional resources and markets. One of the major reasons why this additional resource has not been developed is due to the current constraints on the ability of the OTC to expand. It has been suggested by the timber industry representatives, that an additional area of land, in the vicinity of approximately 100ha plus appropriate buffer areas, would be required to allow the industry to expand and take advantage of potential market opportunities. This is also the case for existing major industry’s reluctance to encourage and foster small light/secondary industry on the peripheral of the complex. It should therefore be a priority that future planning instruments provide the certainty required by industry in relation to landuse conflicts and allow for the timber industry in Oberon to continue to be viable.

4.9 MINING/QUARRYING The history of mining in Oberon is taken from Oberon-Jenolan District Historical Notebook (Wheeler, J. et. al. 1969). Ever since the discovery of gold on the Fish River by Surveyor McBrien on 15 February 1823, Oberon has had varying degrees of mining activity. There does not appear to have been any records kept of mining production during the fifty subsequent years, however, it is known that consignments of gold were being held back because of bushrangers. It is also believed that pressure was being applied to permit mining on private land. 1875 records indicate that gold production was declining. In 1875 there were two (2) reefs working at Oberon which produced 178 ounces of gold. In 1876, the Wiseman's Creek Copper Mine had 20 miners at work and a smelter was being erected. By 1878, the goldfield was deserted but Wiseman's Creek Copper Mine was in full operation. The Lloyd Copper Mine at Burraga was also opened. Even though the mine was 35 miles from Oberon, its production rate greatly influenced petitions for a branch railway line to Oberon. The mine closed in 1914, only to re-open as the Excelsior Mine in 1918 and close again in 1919. The Mount Werong rush followed in 1880, 87 ounces of gold were won and the Oberon alluvial claims produced 303 ounces of gold. Gold mining declined in the next few years due to poor availability of water. A silver rush at Wiseman's Creek resulted in the formation of the village of Glenburn with a hotel and 100 allotments being occupied. The rush was over by 1886. Essington Park was the place of the next "rush" in 1892, when the village of Essington is believed to have been established, but this rush failed also. Prosperity followed soon after. In 1897, the Oberon Mining District produced 1,098 ounces of gold and 200 men were recorded working on the gold fields. The greatest proportion of the gold came from the Black Bullock Mine. Silver production also featured at this mine. Large areas of the district were known to contain a variety of gemstones: sapphires, garnets, topaz, zircon and agate being found in many locations. There are numerous gravel pits around the Council area. In 1993 development consent was granted for a hard rock quarry at Race Course Hill on the southern side of Lake Oberon. The quarry has a consent to extract 200,000 tonnes per annum up until 2013.


The Department of Mineral Resources is the principal Government Agency responsible for the administration of the State’s mineral resources. The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) has identified significant mineral and extractive resources within the Oberon Local Government Area in a series of maps prepared in response to Section 117(2) Direction No. G28 . These maps are the most current available, prepared as a revision of previous information and triggered by the requirement for accurate, up-to-date data on mineral resources to be used as input in this Local Environmental Study. A primary concern raised by the DMR related to the ongoing availability of and access to mineral and extractive resources. In order to avoid unnecessary loss to the community of valuable mining resources, provisions should be made in the Local Environmental Plan to accommodate existing quarries and mines and potential mineral resources and to ensure that mining and extractive industries are permissible land uses as far as possible in rural areas.


SECTION 5 - SPECIAL COUNCIL PROJECTS RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF COUNCIL’S ACTIVITIES.

5.1 Threatened Species and Recovery Plans Platypus are known to inhabit several creeks and streams in the Oberon area. A unique species of spider exists in the Jenolan Caves. The National Parks and Wildlife Service database is available. Access to this will enable Council to identify all rare, vulnerable or endangered species known to inhabit the Council area. There are no known recovery plans for species found in the Oberon area. Data Gaps • Listing and location of threatened/vulnerable species for the Oberon area and assessment of

the threats to threatened species • Relevance of N.P.W.S. recovery plans for species within the Oberon area • Assessment of need for recovery plans for threatened species within Oberon area • Mapping of areas of remnant vegetation and wildlife corridors outside the National Parks

5.2 Environmental Restoration Project The Council’s willow weed eradication program underway in the Fish River adjacent to the township has been completed.

5.3 Vegetation Cover and Vegetation Instruments The Oberon Local Environmental Plan 1998. The Oberon District Bushfire Operational Plan and the Oberon District Fuel Management plan are available from the Council’s Fire Control Officer. Most native woodland on farms has been cleared for grazing with common lands (e.g. road reserves, stock routes and national parks) representing the major source of native trees or shrubs. The cleared grazing lands are now dominated by introduced or native grass species. On private land, remnant vegetation is generally in a non-sustainable condition with very few juvenile trees to replace the natural and accelerated loss of older trees. Understorey is sparse on private land, due to grazing pressure. In the Oberon area, three (3) factors led to the intensive clearing of the woodlands that grew on fertile soil: • The pressure of closer selection because more farmers wanted to settle in the favoured

climates (less drought effected than west of the Great Dividing Range) • The desire of the early settlers to imitate a European landscape • Not only was complete clearing the accepted management practice, it was a requirement of

tenure with some Land Titles State Forest crop timber plantations (principally radiata pine) and National Parks (native vegetation) occupy significant portions of the Council area.


5.4 The Role of Council’s Local Environmental Plan (LEP) 1998 Environmental Sensitivity Currently, Council recognises that there is not a definitive list of the areas of environmental sensitivity in the Oberon Council area. Information used to identify the listed areas was obtained from Council files, reports and knowledge of Council staff. Council’s draft Local Environmental Plan defines areas of Environmental Sensitivity whilst subsequent research and surveys are required to supplement current knowledge. Environmentally Sensitive Land is defined in the Oberon Local Environmental Plan 1998, and is afforded appropriate development control protection. Recognised Areas of Environmental Sensitivity in The Oberon Council area are: • National Parks with world Heritage listing within the Council area • The Jenolan Caves System • Rivers and Streams (Please refer to expanded notes below) • Private areas of remnant bushland and native ecosystems • Soils • Bush fire sensitive areas • Flood prone areas • The built environment of Oberon township - proximity to industry • Agricultural land - Council's desire to maintain the aesthetic appeal of the typical grazing

property by preserving all prime crop and pasture land.

5.5 Generation and management of solid waste Council has acknowledged the pressure on the Environment due to solid waste generation by the preparation of The Oberon Council Waste Management Strategy and The Oberon Council Waste Depot Management Plan in 1995. Oberon Council Depot (Lowes Mount Road) is the major waste depot for the LGA and is located 5km from Oberon. It accepts solid waste, hazardous waste, inert waste and pre-sorted recyclables

Council has expanded the waste depot site to accept inert waste adjacent to the existing waste depot.


SECTION 6 - COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY RESPONSES TO IMPACTS Council has not yet allocated any resources to the assessment of the Community and its own responses to the SOE report and the impacts highlighted therein. However draft environmental strategies have been formulated. The Oberon Council Draft Environmental Strategies are available in the form of a separate document.

6.1 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES Environmental Management Environmental management or management of environmental resources is already a core function of Council. It has traditionally included residential, commercial and industrial waste minimisation management, conservation of open space and local natural areas, land zoning and planning. It is also now beginning to include the provision of environmental services, such as advice on energy and water conservation, and protection of habitat for native plants and animals in open space systems. Council’s role is varied and numerous documents and policies exist to report and guide its actions in a co-ordinated and strategic way. Council is increasingly having to take the environment into account in all their activities. The local and regional environment should be recognised as a corporate responsibility, recognised by the Council and staff of all departments and an important consideration in all Council Policies, decision and works. For a council to develop environmental management strategies, three (3) kinds of information are useful: • Information on local and regional environmental issues. • Information on the influence the Council has over these issues, both currently and potentially. • Information on the way the issues are managed in the area by the Council and other

authorities. These are the types of information which should be collected for SoE reporting. An environmental management system can identify what a council can do, but it will be more effective in identifying what needs to be done if it is combined with information from an SoE Report. In contrast, an SoE Report without an environmental management system can assess what needs to be done for the environment, and can measure its achievement, but the report does not identify precisely the role of the Council in achieving it - this is done as part of the management system. SoE Reports and environmental management systems are, therefore, not alternatives. They are different kinds of tools, and their value is enhanced in combination. The Development Department of The Oberon Council has prepared draft strategic plans for several important areas of Council responsibility. These draft plans are designed to form the basis of a more definitive plan to be prepared by steering committees of Council after community consultation and comment. Air Quality Councils play an important role in the local and regional management of air quality. Issues such as the depletion of the ozone layer, production of greenhouse gases, reduction of vehicle emissions and preservation of indoor air quality, require local government action in support of Federal Government and State Government policies. Councils are accountable to their


communities and should, therefore, find solutions to local and regional air quality problems, such as the presence of odours, particulates and toxic emissions. It is not acceptable for the Oberon community to accept unsatisfactory discharges from licensed polluters despite their, sometimes, significant local influence - politically and socially. It is Council's responsibility to actively seek solutions, preferable in a pro- active role with the Environment Protection Authority and the licensed polluters' co-operation. GOALS OBJECTIVES STRATEGIES • To improve local and regional air

quality. • To identify developing trends in

local, state and national air quality issues.

• To minimise local smoke nuisances due to solid fuel heaters.

• To develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for the identification, monitoring and control of air pollution and indoor air quality.

• To improve the resources, skill and expertise of Council's Development Department in air quality assessment, monitoring and control.

• To quantify the current air pollution problems, thus creating a baseline, so that future improvements can be effectively gauged.

• Develop and implement educational programmes to address local, regional, State and Federal air quality objectives that target industry and community groups.

• Enforce legislative provisions on air pollution incidents.

• Implement air quality controls on development through existing Council approved frameworks.

• Consider local approaches to monitor air pollution.

• Develop, implement and evaluate a local Management Plan for the control of air pollution.

• Initiate a campaign to promote conservation and enhancement of green belt areas, parklands and natural bushlands.

• Develop a skills training programme in air quality monitoring and control; ensure that all relevant officers attend the course and participate in the activities of professional associations that promote clean air.

• Collaborate with other government agencies, community organisations and industry, in the investigation and control of air quality; promote co-ordination of services and sharing of resources.

• Instigate an environmental auditing programme for local industrial premises.

• LEP should recognize impacts from traffic generated dust and provide for siting of new development to reduce potential for impact

• Adopt higher building standards reflective of the climate to reduce dependence on wood heating

• Monitoring of industrial fallout to continue to ensure compliance with EPA requirements

• Examine landuse locations to reduce potential for impacts

Water Pollution Water is the source of all life. Council acts as the consent authority for development and therefore plays a major role in maintaining and enhancing water quality. The impact of water runoff from urban development and farmland, along with discharge of sewerage and industrial wastes,


creates environmental health problems, such as algal blooms, sedimentation, contamination and destruction of the natural environment. Local government, State governments and the Federal Government are jointly responsible for ensuring that the water quality and subsequent health of their communities are protected. GOALS OBJECTIVES STRATEGIES • To implement the principles of

total catchment management (TCM).

• To minimise local and regional water pollution.

• To protect and conserve the aquatic environment.

• To ensure co-ordinated management of water resources

• To develop a strategy for the identification, monitoring and control of water pollutants.

• To increase the resources and professional skills of Council's Development Department in water quality assessment, monitoring and control.

• To introduce controls that will reduce the discharge of sediments and organic wastes from stormwater systems.

• To establish a local and regional database on physical, chemical and biological parameters within aquatic environments.

• Ensure Council representation on, and active participation in, Total Catchment Management Committees.

• Co-ordinate the development, implementation and evaluation of a Total Management Plan that identifies and controls water pollution.

• Enforce legislative provisions when water pollution incidents occur.

• Implement water quality controls on development, through existent Council approval frameworks.

• Investigate, and locally support, the objectives for water pollution control promoted by organisations such as the Environment Protection Authority, Work Cover Authority, The Department of Land and Water Conservation and T.C.M. Committees.

• Develop and implement educational programmes that target community groups and industry, and address local water quality issues.

• Instigate an environmental auditing programme of industrial premises.

• Develop a local/regional campaign to promote conservation and enhancement of wetlands and natural waterways, that targets the community and industry.

• Develop a skills training programme in water quality monitoring and control, and ensure that all Environmental Health Officers attend the course.

• Establish a regular forum to communicate with other regulatory authorities, industry and interested community organisations, and to develop a co-ordinated approach to water pollution control.

Land and Soil Degradation: The management of soils is important for Oberon Council. To some extent, land degradation has been addressed by the State Government through agencies such as the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water and the Department of Primary Industries, but there is still scope for responses by Oberon Council. The following forms of land degradation have been recognised in Oberon:


Soil Degradation: Soil pH imbalance may take the form of acid sulphate soils, in which soils become acidic after exposure to air during the clearing or excavation of land. Induced soil acidity may result from the use of fertilisers, the use of legume-fixing pastures or any other activities which increase soil organic matter levels. Alternatively, soils may exhibit excessive alkalinity, which may be associated with the natural qualities of the underlying parent material, or excessive applications of agricultural chemicals or the presence of industrial pollutants. Erosion includes sheet/rill erosion, gully erosion, mass movement and wind erosion. Building sites and agricultural land are two potential sources of sediment from erosion processes. (Sedimentation control from building sites is discussed separately in this sub-section.) Scalding results if topsoil is removed by one of the erosion processes listed above, a relatively impermeable, clay-rich subsoil may be exposed. Vegetation has great difficulty becoming established in scalded areas. Soil structure decline occurs when soils develop a dense, impenetrable layer on the surface or at depth after long term sustained cropping or pastoral use. Prolonged use of tillage equipment may result in the formation of a "plough pan", which is a compacted layer that inhibits the drainage of the soil, distorts the roots of crops and makes them less productive and less able to withstand weather extremes.


GOALS OBJECTIVES STRATEGIES • To reduce the occurrence and

detrimental consequences of soil problems in The Oberon Council area.

• To identify the types of soil problems being experienced.

• To accurately assess the extent of each soil problem.

• To become adequately informed of the reasons and remedies for each of the soil problems.

• To introduce guidelines and regulations which seek to minimise the detrimental effects of land degradation.

• To reduce, by 50%, the total area subject to specific types of soil problems.

• Implement a mapping programme to identify all types of local soil problems.

• Introduce programmes that will increase community awareness, particularly amongst farmers and developers, of the potential impact of their activities on soils.

• Impose regulations that require the potentially detrimental effects of proposed activities to be addressed in the development application process. Developers should be required to accept liability for their activities, which may involve the use of contracts that extend past the project completion date. A bond that is recoverable only after the developer has complied with relevant Council regulations, could be imposed.

• Develop design criteria for development that minimise the adverse effects of development and land use practices.

• Ensure, by regular inspection, that practices relating to Council regulations for the prevention of land degradation are followed, and control devices are kept in effective working order.

• Implement remedial programmes that address specific soil problems at the local government area level, e.g. tree planting, community education programmes, remedial or preventive engineering works, installation of monitoring equipment, lime application programmes to combat soil acidity, and the rehabilitation of degraded sites.

Sedimentation Control from Building Sites: The removal of vegetation and physical disturbance of land that is associated with urban development are major causes of soil erosion and siltation of rivers, creeks and lakes. This problem is accelerated by current building practices, such as slab-on- ground construction, that cause total site disturbance. Sediment may damage the water quality of natural water courses, because it increases siltation of the receiving waters, the concentration of suspended solids and nutrient loads. Sedimentation of stormwater pipes, and depletion of dissolved oxygen by micro-organisms attached to the sediment, may occur. Sediment also carried persistent pollutants in waterways; heavy metals and pesticides frequently adhere to fine particles in the sediment. These occurrences damage waterway ecosystems and detract from the aesthetic appeal of the receiving waterways.


GOALS OBJECTIVES STRATEGIES • To reduce and control sediment

from building sites.

• To prevent the flow of uncontaminated water into building sites.

• To stop the movement of water-borne pollutants from building sites.

• To minimise site disturbance and restrict access to the site.

• To increase, by 80%, community and building industry awareness of the importance of effective sediment control.

• Divert uncontaminated water

around building sites. • Collect and treat all water by

approved control techniques before the water leaves the site.

• Develop and conduct an education programme that targets builders, sub-contractors, suppliers, staff and the community, on effective sediment control.

• Require Sedimentation Control Plans for building sites to be submitted with Development Applications, and prior to any excavation and site works.

• Develop a Procedures Manual for installation and maintenance of devices for sediment control.

• Develop, and include in applications for building approval, conditions that require:

- implementation of sediment controls in accordance with an approved manual;

- connection of downpipes to the stormwater system as soon as the roof has been loaded;

- provision of access to the site by a single approved route;

- Provision for the backfilling of construction trenches that are excavated during the course of construction as soon as practicable;

- assumption of responsibility by the owner for maintenance of sediment control after completion of building contract;

- maintenance of effective controls during construction;

- provision of on-site stormwater retention facilities, such as rainwater tanks; and

- building design criteria that minimises water runoff during the construction and development period.


Noise The primary aim of environmental noise control is to minimise the occurrence of offensive noise in the community. Council can control noise through the establishment of planning objectives, enforcement of legislative provisions, educational programmes, development control, and encouraging the Environment Protection Authority to decrease noise emission levels required by licensed polluters. GOALS OBJECTIVES STRATEGIES • To minimise offensive noise. • To reduce unacceptable

background noise levels to the acceptable levels, as recommended in the Environment Protection Authority's Environmental Noise Control Manual.

• To establish planning noise objectives.

• To improve the resources and level of expertise in environmental noise control and surveillance.

• To develop and implement a policy on the control of road traffic noise from heavy vehicles.

• To inform the Environment Protection Authority of perceived noise problems associated with licensed premises.

• Implement controls on noise generation at development stage through existing Council approvals framework by requiring acoustic engineer's reports to accompany all potential noise producing developments.

• Enforce legislative provisions to control offensive noise.

• Establish planning noise objectives to prevent "creeping" background levels.

• Promote noise control and awareness through educational campaigns.

• Establish a noise classification system that quantifies noise levels for different land uses.

• Prepare guidelines for building designs to address development on sites exposed to busy roads.

• Encourage the construction of acoustic screen walls and fences to the front and sides of dwellings exposed to high traffic noise, e.g. proposed residential subdivisions near the Albion Street extension.

• Liaise with the Environment Protection Authority and other State authorities that are involved with planning, pollution control and transport for educational material on noise control guidelines and developing trends.

• Provide noise buffer zones to separate noise sources from sensitive receiving areas.

• Monitoring of industrial fallout to continue to ensure compliance with EPA requirements


Land Use and Planning Council has the primary responsibility for the landuse planning and control of urban and rural land. The development and use of land can create conflicts between competing uses (residential, industrial, agricultural, commercial, etc.) and can generate pressures on the capacity of the environment to accommodate the land uses. Resolution of these conflicts and management of these pressures requires planning to set environmental objectives and develop strategies to achieve local area objectives as well as State objectives. Currently the key issues for Oberon include rural development, employment generation and economic development, conservation of natural areas and agricultural land, and protection of water catchment areas from over development.


GOALS OBJECTIVES STRATEGIES • To manage the environment as

an integrated system, that affects public and the private realms, in which all land uses are seen as being interdependent.

• To ensure efficient, equitable and sustainable use of land.

• To provide for meaningful public participation in the planning process.

• To ensure that opportunities for housing development and employment generation in suitable locations are not unnecessarily restricted.

• To protect and conserve the natural environment.

• To ensure that development complies with environmental safeguards.

• To review land use plans on a five yearly basis to ensure that they continue to be consistent with local and State planning objectives.

• To prepare and implement local strategies to protect natural areas and urban bushland and address urban runoff problems, particularly in the context of greenhouse issues.

• To prepare an open space strategy that considers the diverse roles of open space in a recreation opportunity spectrum, for stormwater management, for pedestrian movement, as green "lungs" in built up areas, and separation between land uses.

• To develop and implement a policy for energy-efficient developments and site planning.

• To reduce the impact of the built environment on life-sustaining natural systems.

• Review all existent land use zones to ensure compliance with these objectives.

• Remove unnecessary restrictions on land use and introduce more flexible planning controls with appropriate and clear guidelines for development.

• Create opportunities for community consultation in the planning process to allow meaningful participation.

• Create Local Environmental Plans (L.E.Ps) that are consistent with regional and State planning objectives.

• Establish consultation with other councils in the region to develop regional strategies for housing, transport, employment and service delivery.

• Develop Section 94 Contribution Plans for public open space, public car parking, sewerage and other utilities and community services.

• Review development patterns and land use zoning, including release areas, to ensure that water catchment areas are not degraded.

• Examine opportunities for "Main Street" programmes to revitalise shopping precincts.

• Provide flexibility in planning documents to allow tourism to be developed

• Ensure that Environmental Impact Statements for major developments fully address economic and environmental consequences, particularly those for employment, greenhouse effects, air and water pollution and loss of non-renewable resources.


• Need to expand the Oberon village boundaries and infrastructure services

• Ensure appropriate buffers are considered to reduce the potential for impact

• Need to ensure that the timber industry is not placed in jeopardy by inappropriate development

• Investigate subsidiary and complimentary developments

Urban Design Building design, urban design and landscape design are essential aspects of enhancing our built (and natural) environment, integral components of this enhancement include effective energy audit policies, heritage conservation, building and development control plans, streetscape improvement policies and fire safety. Council has opportunities and responsibilities in these areas.


GOALS OBJECTIVES STRATEGIES • To achieve a high standard of

design for the built environment, so that public spaces and new buildings contribute positively to, or become compatible with, the local environment and local sub-alpine climate.

• To ensure a sage, energy-efficient, attractive built environment.

• To encourage the efficient use of energy in the design of buildings

• To develop a policy for energy efficiency in new building design, renovation and retrofitting of existent buildings.

• To prepare a subdivision policy that promotes the efficient use of land and maximises energy efficiency in the layout of building.

• To prepare a visual improvement policy for all public spaces, including streetscapes, parks and reserves, parking areas, traffic control devices (such as roundabouts) and advertising structures.

• To prepare building design guidelines for main street development that covers heritage conservation, facade design and advertising.

• To ensure that all public buildings either comply with fire safety requirements or are satisfactorily upgraded.

• To reduce, by 30%, the pollution and waste that is generated during the construction and use of the built environment.

• Prepare an access code for new buildings and public areas to facilitate pedestrian access, particularly for disabled and handicapped persons.

• Prepare risk management programmes for monitoring and enforcing fire safety programmes, particularly in relation to tourist facilities, places of public entertainment and boarding houses.

• Ensure that landscape design is an integral part of early development, and prepare a landscape code to achieve a higher standard of landscape design, that meets environmental objectives.

• Design settlements and buildings that are in harmony with underlying ecosystems and landscape.

• Encourage and support the use of non-ozone-depleting substances.

• Encourage greater use of sustainable materials such as timbers and rammed earth in new and renovated buildings.

• Conduct an energy audit of Council buildings and develop an Energy Management Plan.

• Encourage greater use of natural ventilation in buildings to reduce energy load.

• Encourage the use of passive solar energy efficient design in new buildings - assess energy efficiency of new buildings via energy rating schemes and via the development control processes.

• Adopt recycling policies that minimise the use of energy.

• Prepare a local Heritage Environment Plan for conservation of important buildings, precincts and natural areas.

• Ensure control over external advertising to improve safety and visual amenity.

• Adopt, in principle, a policy of installing power cables underground.

• Upgrade public lighting in streets and parks to improve safety and security.


• Adopt higher building standards reflective of the climate to reduce dependence on wood heating


Waste Management: Waste management incorporates: • waste prevention • waste minimisation • avoidance • waste re-use and recycling • recovery of energy from waste • waste disposal, whether by landfill or incineration The current levels of waste production and disposal are neither desirable nor ecologically sustainable. As a major provider of waste collection service, The Oberon Council must ensure that citizens are aware of the environmental consequences of waste disposal and, as well as the benefits of avoiding, reducing and recycling wastes, Council must develop sustainable solutions that will minimise the generation of wastes. GOALS OBJECTIVES STRATEGIES - Local and

Regional Initiatives. • To minimise the generation of

wastes. • To increase waste separation

and recycling. • To economically manage waste

with minimal environmental impact.

• To provide effective waste management services to citizens.

• To foster and implement new technologies for managing waste that reduce environmental impact.

• To raise awareness of waste management issues and gain community commitment and co-operation.

• To increase home composting.

• To reduce the volume and weight of wastes that require disposal, generated within the Council area.

• To ensure that all premises and public areas have access to garden material and organic composting waste facilities or a collection service.

• To ensure that at least 50% of households with gardens in low density urban and rural areas have home composting bins.

• To encourage research and development of facilities for recycling.

• To ensure Council has an effective "in-house" waste minimisation and recycling programme in place.

• Set charges for waste disposal to ensure that "avoidance costs" provide a significant incentive to reduce waste and also ensure that waste disposal is not subsidised by the General Fund. It should be based on the user pays principle.

• Co-ordinate and support research into options for collecting mixed waste, recyclable, organic and hazardous materials.

• Extend the life of existing waste disposal facilities in accordance with sound environmental safeguards and in consultation with local communities.

• Develop and provide resources for community participation programme in decision-making for waste management.

• Investigate regional waste disposal facility options with adjoining councils.

• Provide a network of compost facilities for garden waste.

• Provide financial incentives to encourage residents to avoid, reduce, recycle and separate wastes.

• Develop and adopt variable rate collection systems for mixed waste.

• Pass on the full cost of waste identification, collection, disposal and education services to citizens.

• Design collection systems to encourage waste minimisation and minimal contamination, through source separation.

• Review Council's policy to encourage the use of recycled building materials.

• Develop skills to provide waste audit services and plans for industry.

• Comply with "best available


practice" standards, for waste collection and disposal activities.

• Include replacement costs of waste management facilities and consider the scarcity of existing waste disposal capacity, in financial analyses.

• Develop comprehensive local waste minimisation and education programmes, and seek regional, State Government and Federal Government assistance.

• Develop purchasing policies that establish expenditure targets and give price preferences, for post-consumer recycled products, such as stationery.

• Base waste minimisation targets on the following hierarchy; avoidance, re-use and recycle.

• Implement and review the "in-house" waste minimisation and recycling programmes, across all areas of Council operations.


State of Env Report 2007-8 - Oberon Council · 2015-06-30 · H:\Development Department\SOE...

Documents

Transcript of State of Env Report 2007-8 - Oberon Council · 2015-06-30 · H:\Development Department\SOE...