This coming Tuesday 25 January 2011 at 7pm, the Geelong Council meeting has on its agenda the Lake Lorne Reserve draft masterplan. Details from the agenda which is a 9mb pdf file are reproduced below:
LAKE LORNE RESERVE, DRYSDALE - DRAFT MASTERPLAN
Portfolio: Environment, Sustainability – Cr Doull
Source:
City Services - Environment & Natural Resources
General Manager: Gary Van Driel
Index Reference: Subject: Environment – Waterways
Summary
- Lake Lorne Reserve is a Crown Land Reserve located on the western edge of the Drysdale township, immediately adjacent to the Drysdale Railway Station and Bellarine Rail Trail. The City acts as the Committee of Management for the Department of Sustainability and Environment.
- It is a popular local passive reserve for people to walk around and observe the extensive and diverse number of birds, mainly waterfowl, which frequent this waterway. The Geelong Field Naturalists Club recognise this as one of the most significant freshwater wetlands on the Bellarine Peninsula, used by a number of threatened species.
- The reserve is currently unfenced along Reserve Road and the Geelong- Portarlington Road enabling unlimited access for vehicles and dogs throughout the reserve.
- The City received a written request sometime ago from the Drysdale-Clifton Springs Progress Association to establish a pathway around the lake within this reserve. There is currently no pathway or infrastructure in the reserve and the Association expressed a strong desire in improving the connectivity within the reserve for the local community.
- A Project Working Group was established with all the key stakeholders and extensive consultation undertaken in the development of the draft Masterplan.
- The key features of the draft Masterplan involve a new 2.0 metre wide compacted crushed rock pathway, a section of which is to be constructed within the VicTrack land opposite the Drysdale Railway Station; a boardwalk in the north west corner of the reserve in an area that is inundated when the lake is full; erection of new conservation fencing around the upper water level of the lake and erection of new timber post and rail parking barriers along Reserve Road and a short section of the Geelong-Portarlington Road to restrict vehicle access onto the new pathway and into the public reserve.
- The draft Masterplan is proposed to be placed on public exhibition for a two month period over the summer/school holidays.
Recommendation
That Council:
1) support the public exhibition of the Draft Lake Lorne Reserve Masterplan.
2) support that the public consultation involves, but not be limited to, the following activities:
- sending letters to the property owners opposite the reserve;
- placing a notice in the local Springdale Messenger, The Echo & The Independent;
- erecting an information board on-site and at the Drysdale Customer Service Centre;
- placing notices and copies of the Draft Masterplan in the Drysdale Railway Station; and
- send copies of the Draft Masterplan to the Project Working Group.
3) be presented with a final report following the public consultation period and liaison with the Project Working Group.
Report
Background
Lake Lorne Reserve is located on the western edge of the Drysdale township, immediately adjacent to the Drysdale Railway Station and Bellarine Rail Trail. It is a highly visible Crown Land Reserve, on the western entrance to the township. The City acts as the Committee of Management for the Department of Sustainability and Environment. The lake is a freshwater lake approximately 12 hectares in size. It is shallow with two small islands which provide important habitat and refuge for many birds. There is an asphalt pathway running north-south along the eastern edge of the reserve, providing an all weather access for school children accessing the three schools to the south. The Drysdale-Leopold Pony Club adjoins the reserve to the east and utilise a number of horse jumps once a year in the SE corner of the reserve adjacent to Reserve Road.
The reserve is currently unfenced along Reserve Road and the Geelong-Portarlington Road enabling unlimited access for vehicles and dogs throughout the reserve. It is a popular local passive reserve for people to walk around and observe the extensive and diverse number of birds, mainly waterfowl that frequent this waterway.
The Geelong Field Naturalists Club recognise this as one of the most significant freshwater wetlands on the Bellarine Peninsula, used by a number of threatened species including the Freckled Duck, Blue-billed Duck and Latham's Snipe. It also supports a number of other species including the Pacific Black Duck, Black Swans, Little Pied & Little Black Cormorants, Egrets and Purple Swamphens. The City currently retains an unmown strip around the perimeter of the lake of about 10-15 metres to restrict domestic dogs from direct access to the waterway.
Over the last six years the City has been undertaking extensive rehabilitation works in the reserve, involving weed removal, exotic tree removal, indigenous tree planting, water quality monitoring, flora surveys, pest animal programs and rubbish removal. It has also assisted, when required, with the successful nest box breeding program undertaken by the Workers for Wetlands.
The City received a written request sometime ago from the Drysdale-Clifton Springs Progress Association to establish a pathway around the lake within this reserve. There is currently no pathway or infrastructure in the reserve and the Association expressed a strong desire in improving the connectivity within the reserve for the local community.
Discussion
The request by the Drysdale-Clifton Springs Community Association is considered timely and one which can address a number of interrelated issues regarding the overall management of this reserve.
Prior to proceeding further with the request the City sought and obtained consent from DSE to undertake an investigation into the construction of a pathway around this reserve. A key requirement of the DSE consent was the need to prepare a Cultural Heritage Management Plan (CHMP) prior to any further work being undertaken to determine the presence of aboriginal artefacts and whether these would preclude any works being done.
A Cultural Heritage Management Plan was prepared and approved by Aboriginal Affairs Victoria and two small areas were identified. These small areas did not prevent the project from proceeding to the next stage.
Due to the physical constraints of building the pathway in the northern section of the reserve, extensive discussions were undertaken with the Bellarine Tourist Railway and Vic Track. The outcome of these meetings were very productive which has enabled the City to use part of the railway reservation to construct the proposed pathway and a fence on a level area well removed from flooding.
The City appointed Thompson Berrill Landscape Design to prepare a detailed concept masterplan. A key part of this process was liaising closely with all the key stakeholders. An informal Project Working Group was established comprising representatives from the Drysdale-Clifton Springs Community Association, Bellarine Steam Preservation Society, Geelong Field Naturalists Club, Workers for Wetlands, Drysdale Pony Club, Peninsula Little Athletics Club, Friends of the Bellarine Rail Trail, Bellarine Secondary College, St Thomas Primary School, Ignatius College, Rotary Club of Highton/Kardinia, DSE and Council officers.
A workshop was held at the Drysdale Railway Station seeking advice and input into the project. This workshop assisted in outlining the key issues to address and resulted in detailed site inspections with representatives from the Geelong Field Naturalists Club and Bellarine Bird Observers Club. A further follow up site visit was also held with a small number of the Project Working Group members.
The protection and rehabilitation of Lake Lorne so as to remain a key waterfowl habitat is of paramount importance. It is also a key statutory requirement on the City being the Committee of Management. As a result of increased development in the Drysdale- Clifton Springs area, recognised as a key urban growth area, there is a need to develop a Masterplan which will provide the long term protection of the fauna whilst providing the passive recreational needs of this growing community.
The fauna significance of the reserve has influenced, in part, the location of the proposed pathway and will restrict the pathway from being used for large-scale recreational events. This is not the purpose for which the pathway is being constructed and specific conditions regarding its use will be established and signposted to manage the reserve appropriately in accordance with the City's Committee of Management responsibilities.
A working draft masterplan was prepared, which incorporated the feedback and suggestions made from the Project Working Group and the site inspections.
The main features of the Draft Masterplan are:
- A new 2.0 metre wide compacted crushed rock pathway, a section of which is to be constructed within the VicTrack land opposite the Drysdale Railway Station;
- A boardwalk in the north west corner of the reserve in an area that is inundated when the lake is full;
- Erection of new conservation fencing around the upper water level of the lake (approx. at the 61.5 metre contour). This will comprise a 1.2m high post and wire fence with ring-lock to the bottom 900mm to restrict dog access to the waterfowl conservation area, which will include the lake & adjacent vegetation;
- Erection of new timber post and rail parking barriers along Reserve Road and a short section of the Geelong-Portarlington Road to restrict vehicle access onto the new pathway and into the public reserve;
- Install seats and interpretative signs at key locations;
- Subject to funding, establish a formal pathway and improved traffic management in the Drysdale Railway Station precinct, incorporating that section of the Bellarine Rail Trail.
It should be noted that these particular works are not directly linked to the original request by the Community Association. It was thought, however, to be an appropriate time to discuss and prepare concepts for this precinct. Once approved this part of the Masterplan will be transferred to the City's Recreation and Open Space Unit to deliver through the Bellarine Rail Trail Advisory Committee.
The working draft was then circulated to the Project Working Group representatives seeking their comments and feedback. The City received feedback from the Drysdale- Clifton Springs Community Association, DSE, VicTrack, Peninsula Little Athletics Club, Bellarine Bird Observers Club, Geelong Field Naturalists Club, Drysdale-Leopold Pony ClubFriends of Lake Lorne Reserve, Friends of the Bellarine Rail Trail and the City's Recreation & Open Space Unit. The comments received were positive and there were only minor changes requested to be made to the working draft.
A summary sheet of all the comments received and the recommended actions for each was then produced and circulated to each of the Project Working Group members seeking their support for the suggested changes and an endorsement to proceed to the next phase, being a more comprehensive phase of public consultation. The City received positive feedback to the suggested changes and support for the next phase to proceed.
The Working Draft Masterplan has now been amended incorporating the Project Working Group feedback. A copy of the Draft Masterplan is attached. The draft Masterplan is proposed to be placed on public exhibition for a two month period over the summer/school holidays. It is proposed that this involve, but not be limited to, the following activities:
- sending letters to the property owners opposite the reserve;
- placing a notice in the local Springdale Messenger, The Echo and The Independent,
- erecting an information board on-site and at the Drysdale Customer Service Centre;
- placing notices and copies of the Draft Masterplan in the Drysdale Railway Station; and
- sending copies of the Draft Masterplan to the Project Working Group.
Following this consultation period a detailed assessment of the submissions/comments received will be made. A report will be prepared and a meeting with the Project Working Group convened to review the submissions and the recommended actions. A final report will then be presented to Council early in 2011 seeking the adoption of the final Masterplan with any alterations included.
Therefore, at this stage of the process consent from Council is now being sought to undertake the formal public consultation phase as outlined above.
Environmental Implications
Many of the recommended actions within the Masterplan will result in the long term protection and enhancement of the biodiversity values within this reserve. The threatened bird species will receive specific protection along with the establishment of suitable edge vegetation. The balance of the reserve will have revegetation using local indigenous species and the use of interpretative signs will assist in educating the public about the cultural and natural values that exist in the reserve. Through the implementation of the Masterplan the environmental obligations on Council via its role as Committee of Management will also be appropriately delivered.
Financial Implications
The project will involve financial costs associated with the construction of the pathway, fencing and associated infrastructure (i.e. seats, interpretative signs etc). There will also be costs associated with the ongoing maintenance of the pathway and the fencing. It is proposed that the costs be spread over three years to minimise the financial burden on Council in Year 1. At this stage the anticipated costs associated with the project are approximately $200,000 over three years. These costs do not include the proposed works within the Drysdale Station Precinct and upgrades to the Bellarine Rail Trail. Funding for these works will need to be sought through the Bellarine Rail Trail project. There is likely to be some minor financial assistance received for certain parts of the project (ie seats, plants, interpretative signs) through the local Bellarine Community Bank, Drysdale-Clifton Springs Community Association and service clubs.
Policy/Legal/Statutory
A number of the bird species that reside and use this waterway and reserve are protected under Federal and State legislation. The Council has a statutory obligation to protect these rare and threatened birds. Under the terms of the Committee of Management responsibilities the City is also responsible for protecting these birds as well as the aboriginal artefacts present on the site. As previously stated, there is unrestricted access by the public and their pets throughout this reserve which creates a conflict with Council's obligations as outlined above. The draft Masterplan aims to address these issues through a number of key actions.
Officer Direct or Indirect
There is no officer direct or indirect interests associated with this project.
Risk Assessment
There is a strong community desire for the works to be undertaken and as the local population continues to increase significantly there will be additional pressures placed on this reserve and the fauna that use it. Undertaking the proposed works will greatly reduce these risks.
Social Consideration
The project will involve ongoing close liaison with the registered aboriginal party to ensure all the requirements under the approved Cultural Heritage Management Plan are undertaken. The final design of the proposed pathway will involve liaison with key stakeholders to ensure people of all abilities can use the new asset. The wider community will have the opportunity to provide input into the final design through the extensive public consultation process.
Communication
There will be an extensive public consultation process undertaken with the local community providing the opportunity for feedback on the Draft Masterplan.
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