Hornsby
Shire Council |
Attachment
to Report No. EN45/09 Page 0 |
Minutes
of the Bushland Management Advisory
Committee
held
on Tuesday, 18th August 2009
in
Function Room 2
Hornsby
Council Chambers at 6pm
PRESENT: Cllr Andrew
Martin
Cllr Robert
Browne
Cllr Steve
Evans
Barry
Tomkinson
Mike Barrett
Sheila Woods
Joanne
Caldwell
Mick Marr
Diane Campbell, Manager-Bushland &
Biodiversity
1. Welcome
2. Apologies
Cllr Wendy McMurdo,
3. Pecuniary
interests
Nil.
4. Minutes
from the previous meeting (19th May 2009)
The Minutes were accepted (moved MB/ seconded
AM).
5. Business
Arising
Review of
the Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan
Indicators and
actions discussed. BMAC considered it important that Council focus on top 10
priority actions. BMAC considered the loss of vegetation an important issue in
the Shire especially illegal clearing and prosecutions. Discussed how the DECCW
Priorities Action Statement (PAS) and the large number of actions to promote
the recovery of threatened species would relate to the Biodiversity
Conservation Strategy. BMAC identified the need to establish if we are winning
or losing with threatened species and considered the possibility of residents
contributing wildlife sightings online.
Action: BMAC to further
consider indicators and actions and provide input to staff. Council staff to liaise with others
developing/ reviewing indicators i.e. Sustainable Action Committee.
Action: PAS requirements are
addressed as an action in the Biodiversity Conservation Action Plan.
6. Bush
Fire Risk Management Plan update
Staff reported that 9
community information barbeques were held across the Hornsby and Ku-ring-gai
Local Government Areas to discuss the draft Bush Fire Risk Management Plan with
the community, and that a draft would be shortly submitted to Council for
exhibition.
Action: BMAC members to
note the draft Bush Fire Risk Management Plan will be forwarded to Council
shortly for exhibition and is available for comment at http://hkbfmc.org.au/.
Action: BMAC to ask the
Bush Fire Management Committee if large parcels of privately owned bushland are
addressed in the draft Bush Fire Risk Management Plan process.
7. Planning
update:
A submission (tabled)
was made on behalf of BMAC to the Housing Strategy. Council is now collating the large number of
community submissions and considering options to address the need for increased
housing in the Shire. BMAC discussed the
need for the Housing Strategy to provide a sustainable vision for the next 25
years and that housing precincts may need to be larger to incorporate good
urban design within Masterplans, including water reuse and other sustainability
outcomes such as parks and conserving native vegetation.
Motion (moved MB/seconded JC):
That the submission made to Council on the Housing Strategy on behalf of BMAC
is a true representation of the Committee’s views.
Action: BMAC members to
keep a watching brief on the next stage of the Housing Strategy in context of
seeking a 25 year vision for Hornsby Shire.
8. Field
inspection: date and location
Date of the next
field inspection is Thursday 12th November 2009. Location will be one of the preferred
Mountain Bike Track proposal routes – TBA.
9. Correspondence
In/Out
Submission
by BMAC to the Housing Strategy dated 1 June 2009 as tabled.
10. General
Business
Mountain
Bike Trails
Council adopted an
Unstructured Recreation Strategy in December 2008 and received submissions from
150 mountain bike users in the Shire, and thus resolved to investigate the feasibility
of constructing mountain bike trails.
Staff indicated that the first draft of a report commissioned by Council
had been received from
Action: A presentation be
made to BMAC at the next meeting on the feasibility investigation of mountain
bike trails in the Hornsby Shire by
Roselea
Open Day
BMAC members were invited
to attend the Roselea Bushcare Open Day on 28th August from 11 am to
1 pm to view the work completed by the Bushcare Group through the grant they
received and implemented in cooperation with the local Primary School.
Free
Guided Bushwalks Program
BMAC members were
provided a copy of the Free Guided Bushwalks Brochure for July to December
2009.
Shooters Party Bill to allow Shooting in
National Parks and the Creation of Private Game Reserves
BMAC was concerned
about the private members bill introduced into State parliament that will allow
for 26 species of protected fauna as well as feral animals to be shot in
National Parks and will allow for the farming of 28 feral bird species that
could easily escape.
Motion (moved SE/seconded
BT): That BMAC requests Council to write a letter of objection to the Shooters’
Party’s Game and Feral Animal Control Amendment Bill.
Berowra Oval Water Reuse Project
BMAC is seeking
improved liaison between Water Catchments and Bushland Teams as evidenced at
Berowra Oval.
NSW Weeds Society Seminar 9 September 2009 at
the Epping Club
Mike Barrett wanted
BMAC to note that the upcoming one day Weeds Seminar was being very well
supported by Hornsby Council field staff which would improve their learning and
development.
11. Close
and Next meeting
BMAC meets on the
3rd Tuesday every third month
Next meeting date: 17th Nov 2009