TP277 08/95
CITY OF WANNEROO REPORT NO: TP277 08/95
TO:TOWN CLERK
FROM:CITY PLANNER
FOR MEETING OF:TOWN PLANNING COMMITTEE
MEETING DATE:7 AUGUST 1995
FILE REF:290 1
WARD:ALL
SUBJECT:DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT UNIT
1 JUNE TO 30 JUNE 1995
Overleaf is a resumé of the development applications processed by the Development Assessment Unit from 1 June 1995 to 30 June 1995.
RECOMMENDATION:
That Council endorses the action taken by the Development Assessment Unit in relation to the applications described in Report TP277 08/95.
O G DRESCHER
City Planner
gap:gm
pre89505
TP278 08/95
CITY OF WANNEROO REPORT NO: TP278 08/95
TO:TOWN CLERK
FROM:CITY PLANNER
FOR MEETING OF:TOWN PLANNING COMMITTEE
MEETING DATE:7 AUGUST 1995
FILE REF:740 1
WARD:ALL
SUBJECT:SUBDIVISION CONTROL UNIT FOR MONTH OF JUNE 1995
Overleaf is a resume of the Subdivision Applications processed by the Subdivision Control Unit since my previous report. All applications were dealt with in terms of Council's Subdivision Control Unit Policy adopted at its December 1982 meeting (see below).
3.1Subdivision applications received which are in conformity with an approved Structure Plan by resolution of Council.
3.2Subdivision applications previously supported by Council and approved by the Western Australian Planning Commission.
3.3Applications for extension of subdivision approval issued by the Ministry for Planning which were previously supported by Council.
3.4Applications for subdivision which result from conditions of Development Approvals issued by Council
3.5Applications for amalgamation of lots of a non complex nature which would allow the development of the land for uses permitted in the zone within which that land is situated.
3.6Subdivision applications solely involving excision of land for public purposes such as road widenings, sump sites, school sites and community purpose sites.
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT Council endorses the action taken by the Subdivision Control Unit in relation to the applications described in this Report.
O G DRESCHER
City Planner
gap:gm
pre89506
TP279 08/95
CITY OF WANNEROO REPORT NO: TP279 08/95
TO:TOWN CLERK
FROM:CITY PLANNER
FOR MEETING OF:TOWN PLANNING COMMITTEE
MEETING DATE:7 AUGUST 1995
FILE REF:765 12
WARD:NORTH
SUBJECT:DRAFT FORESHORE MANAGEMENT PLAN, QUINNS NORTH
METRO SCHEME:Parks and Recreation
LOCAL SCHEME:Parks and Recreation
APPLICANT/OWNER:Silverton Pty Ltd
CONSULTANT:Alan Tingay & Associates
REPORT WRITTEN:24.7.95
SUMMARY
Alan Tingay and Associates, on behalf of Silverton Limited, the owner of Lots 1000 and 1001, Quinns North has prepared a Draft Foreshore Management Plan (FMP) for their landholdings immediately north of Tapping Way. The draft management plan makes a number of recommendations about the management of the foreshore reserve so as to best facilitate the rehabilitation of currently degraded areas, longer term protection of sensitive vegetation, recreation opportunities, and parking, access and development within the foreshore reserve. The draft plan has been prepared in consultation with Council officers whose comments have been forwarded to the consultants for inclusion in the draft plan. It is now considered appropriate for the draft plan to be advertised for public comment. Following consideration of comments received, the plan may be modified prior to final adoption by Council.
A copy of the draft plan has been placed in Councillors' reading room for perusal.
BACKGROUND
The foreshore area which is the subject of the draft plan is shown on Attachment No 1.
The draft plan itself has been prepared to satisfy a subdivision condition for Stage 1 of the development of Lot 1000 (Subdivision No 95587). The draft plan is also required to support a local structure plan being prepared for approval by Council for a number of landholdings adjacent to the foreshore in question (Silverton's Lots 1000 and 1001, Homeswest's Lots 1002 and 1, Cruickshank & Stow Nivlem Syndicate's Lot 1 and St Brigid's Convent's Lot 593). A condition of the superlotting of the former Lot 5 Quinns North required that an approved local structure plan be in place prior to any further subdivision approvals for these landholdings (Subdivision No 90243).
Detailed foreshore management plans are important elements in the overall planning for landholdings adjacent to foreshore reserves. The nature of the foreshore should influence structure planning design and the integration of uses adjacent to the foreshore. Ideally, foreshore management plans should be prepared as a part of wider local structure planning. More often than not, however, detailed management plans are prepared in isolation at the subdivision level of planning where the State Planning Commission generally imposes a subdivision condition requiring a plan.
In anticipation of this, the State Planning Commission and the City have, over recent years, commissioned consultants to address key coastal and foreshore management issues and considerations for strategic planning areas such as the Clarkson/Butler District. For the Quinns North area, these strategic studies include the 'Quinns North and Jindalee Coastal Development and Management Study' (Peter J Woods & Associates, 1990) and recently, the more detailed 'Burns Beach to Jindalee Coastal Planning Study' (Hames Sharley Australia, 1992).
The Hames Sharley Study identified the Quinns North foreshore as suitable as a local beach (rather than a regional beach as is proposed further north at Jindalee). The Study made a series of management recommendations for Quinns North. Many of these recommendations have been adopted and addressed in more detail in this Alan Tingay & Associates draft plan.
COASTAL STABILITY
The foreshore comprising Reserves 20561 and 35890 is vested with the City of Wanneroo for Recreation and Purposes incidental thereto. It is wider in the southern section (150 metres), narrow in the central section (50 metres) and widens out at the northern boundary (100 metres).
Woods (1990) notes that this section of coastline has a good sandy beach and clean waters backed up by steep, relatively young dunes that lie seaward of the limestone platform in the southern half.
The limestone platform Woods refers to underlies much of the Wanneroo coastline and is intermittently exposed at Marmion, Ocean Reef, Jindalee and Yanchep. The limestone tends to form a physical barrier to slow down the impact of the oceans erosive forces.
Woods notes that the foreshore at Quinns North is sensitive in that the dunal land forms are young, prone to marine erosion and rely on vegetation for stability. Because this section of coast has potential to erode, there is limited opportunity to provide permanent public facilities in the foreshore reserve in the southern part. To the north, the potential for erosion is less.
Hames Sharley (1992) comments that shorelines movement maps indicate that the coast has been stable since 1941 with a small amount of accretion in the form of an incipient foredune. Hames Sharley argues that the foreshore should be widened in the northern part to include a car parking area. Elsewhere the existing Crown Reserve is adequate because the reserve appears to be underpinned by limestone and is relatively stable. It is predominantly a conservation area and not a high usage recreation area. It is proposed to be effectively widened at its narrowest point by public open space shown in the then draft local structure plan. The present draft local structure plan also shows public open space adjacent to this narrowest section of foreshore.
In brief, the Woods study highlights the need for sensitive management of the fragile dunes to minimise the potential for wind and wave erosion. The Hames Sharley study emphasises the presence of the stable limestone underlying the northern part of the foreshore and the need to limit recreational use and conserve the natural vegetation.
THE DRAFT FORESHORE MANAGEMENT PLAN
The draft plan comprises two parts, a concept plan for the entire foreshore area adjacent to Silverton's landholding, and secondly, detailed proposals for management and implementation for the portion of the foreshore which abuts the subdivision proposed for Stage 1.
Detailed proposals like those prepared for Stage 1 will be required as part of subdivision conditions for the remaining part of the concept plan.
THE DRAFT CONCEPT PLAN
The draft concept plan for the entire foreshore is shown on Attachment No 2. Immediately apparent is the separation of the 'private' residential subdivision from the 'public' foreshore reserve and public open space by a coastal road. Also noticeable is the use of Public Open Space (POS) adjacent to the beach and its integration with the existing foreshore reserve. A unique feature is the bulb of POS adjacent and linked to the most narrow central portion of foreshore reserve. Located in a natural amphitheatre and designed for local use, this coastal node will act as a focus of 'activity' for local beachgoers with parking, toilet facilities, picnic areas, presently linked with direct access to the beach.
Other features include a dual use path along the length of the foreshore linking with beach access pathways. In all, five parking areas are proposed, with two proposed in the central open space area; one already built just to the north of Tapping Way; one in the northern part of Stage 1, while the other is proposed in the north of the concept plan.
STAGE 1 MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS
Shown on Attachment 3 are the detailed foreshore management proposals for Stage 1. Given this area's natural fragility, an emphasis has been placed on rehabilitation and access.
This section of foreshore is dominated by a prominent dune, which, while quite badly damaged by 4 wheel drive vehicles, pedestrian use and earthworking of the adjacent landholding, still offers spectacular views of the coastline. As the eastern half of the dune is located on Silverton's landholding, public open space is proposed to be located west of the coastal road to ensure that the dune is retained as a whole. Substantial rehabilitation is proposed on and around this dune and Silverton Ltd has proposed to implement these works. In the longer term, a lookout is proposed at the peak of the dune.
The existing limestone carpark at the northern end of Ocean Drive will require modification due to the alignment of the coast road entry into Silverton Ltd's landholding. Funding for construction of this modified carpark has been listed for consideration in Council's Draft 1995/96 Budget, Item No EPK1054. A further carpark intended to accommodate a further 20 bays is proposed further north with access off the coast road.
Listed in the draft plan is a proposed Implementation and Management Schedule. With the exception of the construction of the lookout and rabbit control which Council and the Agriculture Protection Board are proposed to be responsible for respectively, the construction of the northern parking area, dual use paths, pedestrian access paths, rehabilitation and POS will all be met by Silverton Ltd. The draft plan proposes that Council will assume ongoing maintenance of these facilities after two year period.
ISSUE OF CONCERN WITH THE DRAFT FORESHORE MANAGEMENT PLAN
City officers had previously forwarded officer level comments in respect to the initial draft and many of these comments have been taken into account in this final draft. There are still, however, concerns with the draft concept plan as well as the details proposed as part of Stage 1.
Concept Plan
1.It is important that support for the details proposed in Stage 1 of the Draft Foreshore Management Plan is not interpreted as support for the entire concept plan. While the entire concept plan has tentative support, the same level of detail which has been provided to support Stage 1 is required for the later stages. It is envisaged that this will be a requirement of subdivision approval for the later stages of development.
2.The Hames Sharley Study's (1992) 'Oasis Concept' and style of linking carparking, facility provision and shade/picnic as part of small nodal developments within the foreshore has a number of benefits associated with it. Council acknowledged this in its endorsement of that study as a guide to future development on the coastline. The cost associated with the provision of numerous smaller 'Oases' is high both in initial construction as well as ongoing maintenance. For this reason it is important that the location of oasis style development is carefully considered, and that opportunities are sought to reduce the initial and ongoing costs of development maintenance wherever possible. Management plans should not recommend on the location of facilities based solely on environmental or aesthetic factors but should also detail initial development and ongoing costs.
For this reason, more thought should be given to the design of proposed parking, access, toilet/shower facilities at the proposed 'central node' as well as the need for parking at the northern carparking site with its associated facilities. Further discussion is required between Council officers and Silverton's environmental consultants on this matter.
Particular consideration should be given to drainage sumps and outfalls. No drainage for the adjacent subdivision should impinge upon the foreshore reserve.
3.The concept plan should be updated to reflect the presently agreed arrangement and design for access off Tapping Way/Ocean Drive into the Quinns North Estate. This design has been shown in the detailed Stage 1 and should also be shown in the overall 'concept plan'.
4.The draft plan recommends that parking be located in 'stable dune swales'. This wording is somewhat misleading as stable dune swales are generally well vegetated (hence their stability). While the location of parking in sheltered dune swales is supported, efforts should be made to locate parking in damaged, unvegetated swales rather than vegetated 'stable' ones.
Stage 1 Draft Recommendations
On the whole, the draft recommendations proposed in Stage 1 are supported. The main concerns with the draft plan are discussed below.
1.The draft plan advises that the foreshore shows evidence of a significant rabbit population and that a rabbit control programme should be instigated to reduce the population and hence minimise destruction and damage to native vegetation caused by the vermin.
The City's Parks Department advises that native bandicoots can have a similar impact on the coastal environment as rabbits. A bandicoot population presently exists on the coast at Kinsale Reserve in Mindarie. Clearly, confirmation is required that the damage caused in the foreshore is attributable to rabbits. The Pindon poison used in rabbit control would devastate a native bandicoot population.
2.In order to assist the rehabilitation of degraded and earthworked areas, the City's Parks Department advises that topsoil cleared within the vicinity should be used wherever possible for infill and reshaping, rehabilitation. Batters of 1:3 are preferred.
3.It is felt that a change in the alignment of the proposed dual use path in the northern half of Stage 1 is appropriate. The dual use path would be better located abutting the coastal road. The present alignment, which follows the alignment of the existing degraded sand tracks and runs parallel to the coast road would result in a thin 10 metre slither of foreshore reserve being created between the dual use path and the road. This slither of land would be easily degraded and its protection would result in unnecessary maintenance costs, fencing, etc which can be avoided by moving the path only 10 15 metres east.
4.Section 7.4 of the draft plan refers to a series of commitments which Silverton proposes to make. Some of these commitments (ie to gain approval from Council and the Ministry for Planning for any road batters, earthworks, or drainage affecting the foreshore reserve) are those which Silverton is likely to be required to meet in any event, to satisfy subdivision and development approval conditions under the Town Planning and Development Act, 1928. Others, such as submitting rehabilitation plans to Council prior to commencement of works, are not necessarily addressed by the planning approval process and are welcomed.
Two of these commitments require modification. Firstly, Silverton proposes to provide further detail on the coastal Development Node during planning for Stage 2 of the Quinns Rocks North development. As was discussed previously, while this is supported, these details should form part of the detailed management recommendations for the entire remaining foreshore reserve (Stage 2), not just the development node.
Silverton also proposes to stabilise and rehabilitate any area of the foreshore reserve disturbed by development works. This should be re worded to state that no earthworking and development in or adjacent to the foreshore reserve will intrude in the reserve apart from that approved by the City of Wanneroo and the Ministry for Planning as part of adopted Foreshore Management Plans or as part of an approved subdivision plan.
CONCLUSION
In principle, the draft plan is supported. It is important, however, that the above concerns be addressed as part of a final Foreshore Management Plan, particularly so for the detailed plans for Stage 1. The concerns expressed for the remainder of the foreshore (Stage 2), although just as important, are less urgent and require further discussion between Council officers and the landowner consultants. Any submissions received during the public advertising period must also be considered and if appropriate included in a final plan.