Changing of the guard at Lighthouse Reserve

Reflections Holiday Parks has been appointed by the NSW Government to manage Norah Head Lighthouse Reserve from September 2023.

As a Crown Land manager, Reflections has Social Enterprise Certification as a profit-for-purpose organisation which re-invests all its profits back into the care, environmental and social benefit of the 43 community Crown Land nature reserves and 36 holiday parks it manages across NSW. It is the only holiday park operator in Australia that is certified as a social enterprise and in 2022 Reflections contributed more than $83M in economic value to regional NSW communities.

Chair of the present Norah Head Lighthouse Land Management Board, Neil Rose, said it was an exciting new chapter for the reserve with a bright future to continue prospering as one of Central Coast’s most prominent Crown Land reserves.

“It’s only a small reserve but has four main business activities – tours, accommodation, weddings and the little tourist shop – and I think it will continue much the same as it is now,” he said.

“The number of activities connected to those is quite huge, as well as the grants and projects already on the go, so in the coming months we will help make it a smooth management transition to Reflections.

“They’re a big company and they generate a lot of income … I feel pretty good about it, time moves on.

“I won’t be disappearing, maybe I’ll stay around as a volunteer or put my hand up for the advisory committee and a few of the other volunteers say they’d be interested too,” Rose said.

A Norah Head Reserve Community Liaison Group will be formed later to provide local knowledge and input on management of the reserve.

In February, Board members were recognised for their dedication and outstanding work by Minister for Lands and Water, John Anderson, who said he was “rapt and very appreciative”.

The five Board membersKen Greenwald, Colin Paulson OAM, Neil Rose, Ian McNaught and Doug Darlington - were presented with the Minister’s Service Recognition Award.

Reflections Group Operations Manager, Cameron Tynan, said his organisation was dedicated to working with the volunteers and the existing Board which had all worked tirelessly in the past to nurture the lighthouse reserve.

“Having visited the site many times and spoken with the volunteers, we know first-hand how much work they dedicate to it and how precious a resource it is to the community,” he said.

Reflections CEO, Nick Baker, sees their appointment as new managers of the lighthouse reserve as a “privilege”.

“Together with the reserve’s volunteers we are committed to maintaining free public access to the reserve, helping volunteers deliver on the reserve’s future plans and building a strong relationship with the community,” he said.

2022 was a year of achievements for Reflections$3.5M was re-invested in Crown Land reserves managed by councils and community groups, $2.6M to Reflections Crown Land nature reserves and $3M to cross-subsidise the operation of inland parks and reserves - in turn creating and maintaining jobs in regional communities.

Reflections invested $16.9M in park developments and upgrades, with a further $34.8M planned for 2023 to grow regional NSW tourism, and $9.1M was re-invested into their parks and community Crown reserves, which are vital habitats for animals and plants, as well as being treasured playgrounds for regional communities and visitors.

Sue Murray

Since 1983 Hospital & Home Visits By Appointment

Pearl farm bounces back after devastating floods

For the past two years, Broken Bay Pearl Farm has been on the road to recovery from the devastating effects of three major flood events, following unprecedented bushfires and a global pandemic.

A spokesperson said the culmination of the three floods led to the biggest hit the pearl farm has experienced since it began in 2003, wiping out its total population of adult and juvenile pearl shell.

And now Broken Bay Pearl Farm has reached a major milestone in its recovery with the first seeding of pearl shell in many years.

After opening its doors to the public in 2018, Broken Bay pearl farm was on the brink of major expansion.

Set to increase its production of seeded pearl oysters from 30,000 per year to more than a million, NSW’s only pearl farm as poised to expand its offerings of locally grown pearls and immersive pearl farm experiences from its Shellar Door on the banks of the Hawkesbury River.

This was to include the introduction of an entirely new seafood delicacy to the local market – Akoya pearl oyster meat.

All this changed after the three flood events.

The pearl farm took the main hit from the first flood in 2020, losing almost all breeding, juvenile and harvest-ready pearl shell for both seafood and pearls.

“It was heartbreaking for our team to see years of hard work go down the drain and literally wash out to sea with the remarkable plume of freshwater that is reported to have gone 30kms out into the Pacific Ocean,” owner James Brown said.

“A small number of adult pearl shell, which are found in the wild and collected by pearl divers for broodstock, miraculously survived those floods.

“This created the chance to start over again with the next generation of baby pearl shell nurtured by a team who have worked tirelessly to rebuild the pearl farm from scratch.” During the second and third floods, Broken Bay pearl farm had less to lose, and it seems that new ways of dealing with these extreme events may be paying off.

“Somehow today, with the passage of time and a massive team effort, we find ourselves with surviving pearl shell that are stronger and healthier than ever, ready to be cultured for a pearl that we hope to harvest in a few years,” Brown said.

As it can take four to five years to grow a pearl shell and then a pearl, natural disasters such as floods can wipe-out a pearl farm, setting it back many years assuming it is even able to get back on its feet.

Brown said pearling is a longlead game with best efforts ultimately resting in the hands of Mother Nature.

“We learn from each major blow how to prepare for and better handle our pearl shell and farming infrastructure in extreme and sometimes catastrophic environmental strikes,” he said.

“Perhaps these disasters will help people understand the true value of a pearl – the massive effort, huge risks and ultimately, the offerings of our natural world.”

In April last year, Brown woke to the news of a third flood about to hit the pearl farm, the same night a cyclone was bearing down on his WA pearl farm north of Broome at Cygnet Bay.

“I am not sure it gets any more stressful than this as a pearl farmer – but our teams on both sides of the country responded incredibly well and I am proud to say that both pearl farms are well and truly on the road to recovery,” he said.

The team at Broken Bay Pearl Farm is celebrating the start of pearl seeding this month with the ultimate goal – a beautiful gem harvested from local waters - now only a couple of years away.

In more good news, Broken Bay Pearl Farm, in collaboration with the James Cook University genetics team, is set to announce the start of an important Akoya pearl shell