Project Update - May 2024
We’re proposing land categories for 35 Crown reserves (at 33 location) as part of an obligation under the Crown Land Management (CLM) Act 2016. The CLM Act legislates that we are required to manage Crown land in the same manner as Community land, in accordance with the Local Government Act 1993.
This is an initial land categorisation process and only relates to current/existing use. It does not propose any change of use for the subject Crown reserves or indicate desired future use.
We asked for your feedback on the proposed land categories between 24 August 2020 and 11 October 2020 and received 70 submissions. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback.
At the Council meeting on 14 May, 2024, Council adopted the assigned land categories.
- View the Council Report (Item13.1, page 62)
- View the Council minutes (Item 13.1, page 27)
- View the Community Engagement Report
- View the proposed Crown reserve land categories
We will now notify the Minister administering the Crown Land Management Act 2016 of the categories which have been assigned to the land reserves.
Find out more
The following is a list of the 35 affected Crown reserves (33 locations), by suburb:
Allambie Heights
1. Manly Warringah War Memorial State Park including Aquatic Reserve
2. Maroa Reserve
Balgowlah
3. Balgowlah Golf Course and Balgowlah Park
Balgowlah Heights
4. Forty Baskets
5. Nolan Place Reserve
6. Tania Park
Beacon Hill
7. Beacon Hill Oval
8. Governor Phillip Lookout
Belrose
9. Waldon Oval
10. Wearden Road Reserve
Coasters Retreat
11. Bonnie Doon Wharf (surrounds)
Church Point
12. Church Point Reserve (part)
Clontarf
13. Clontarf Reserve
Collaroy
14. Collaroy Beach
15. Griffith Park
Cromer
16. St Matthews Farm
Cromer/Narraweena
17. Lillihina and Nalya Reserves
Duffys Forest
18. Rhoker Reserve
Freshwater
19. McKillop Park
Ingleside
20. 18 Walter Road
Manly/Fairlight
21. Manly Wharf to North Harbour Reserve, including West Esplanade
Manly
22. Manly Wharf to Skiff Club, including East Esplanade
23. Queenscliff to Manly Beach Foreshore
24. Shelly Beach Reserve
Mona Vale
25. Mona Vale Golf Course and beach
North Narrabeen
26. Bilarong Reserve (part)
27. Katoa Reserve
Palm Beach
28. Governor Phillip Park x 3 reserves
29. Pittwater Park
30. Sunrise Reserve (part)
Queenscliff
31. Aitken Reserve (part)
Seaforth
32. Bantry Reserve
33. Seaforth Oval
This initial categorisation process is exclusive to Crown land for which Council is Crown land manager. The 35 reserves (33 locations) are all Crown land managed by Council.
In NSW, Crown land is administered by the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment in accordance with the Crown Land Management (CLM) Act 2016, which came into effect on 1 July 2018. Following an extensive review of how Crown land is managed, the CLM Act was passed in order to create a more simplified management structure.
The CLM Act requires Crown reserves managed by Council to be managed in line with the Local Government Act (LG) Act 1993 in the same manner as Council Community land. The transition requires the affected Crown reserves to be managed via a plan of management (PoM). The first step is to assign the appropriate land categories.
The transition to managing Crown reserves in accordance with the LG Act is to occur by 30 June 2021.
On 23 June 2020 Council resolved to undertake community consultation on the proposed land categories. Comments will be reported back to Council with a recommendation, along with a summary of community feedback. The Minister will be notified of Council’s preferred categories and, following confirmation from the Minister, PoMs can be prepared.
The Local Government Act 1993 provides descriptions for five different land categories are:
- Natural Area
- Park
- Sportsground
- General Community Use
- Area of Cultural Significance
Proposed land categories should consider the following:
- They represent current/existing use.
- Multiple categories are permitted where they best represent current/existing use.
- They cannot represent desired future use (this can be considered later when a PoM is developed).
- They relate to the reserve purpose.
- They relate most closely to the Local Government Act category objectives.
- They consider the characteristics of the land.
- The category of ‘Area of Cultural Significance’ can be overlayed over another category.
Where possible, land categories are proposed to be consistent across the Northern Beaches. However, where categories already exist within a PoM then no change to the PoM categories are proposed at this stage. Any inconsistencies can be addressed when the affected PoM are updated in the future.
Examples of consistent land categories for future land categorisations include but are not limited to:
Land use | Proposed category |
Golf Course | Sportsground |
Sports buildings | Sportsground |
Car park and roads | The same as the adjoining land that the car park or road facilitates access to e.g. Sportsground, Park or General Community Use |
Surf Life Saving Club | General Community Use |
Bushland | Natural Area |
Foreshore | Natural Area |
Playgrounds | Park |
Once this initial categorisation process is complete, future changes to categories can occur when a Plan of Management is being developed or updated. This would involve extensive community consultation, including a Public Hearing.
Many of these 35 Crown reserves have previously been included within a Plan of Management and several have already been categorised. In these cases, the existing land categories are recommended in our proposal.
All existing Northern Beaches Council Plans of Management can be viewed here.
