1.1 Overview

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Overview

Umwelt (Australia) Pty Limited (Umwelt) is assisting Lake Macquarie City Council (LMCC or Council) to prepare a Management Plan for Munibung Hill. The Management Plan will provide guidance on access, future use and management actions to protect or enhance the values of Munibung Hill, over the next ten (10) years.

The Study Area for Munibung Hill covers 331.2 hectares (ha) and includes 51 parcels of land owned by a mix of State and local government, corporate and private entities (refer to Figure 1.1). The overall Study Area includes an area wider than that to which the Concept Plan and Management Plan for the next ten years will apply. This is because significant constraints and/or uncertainty about access to some parts of the Study Area limited the area available for the Concept Plan.

The areas where the Concept Plan and Management Plan apply and the other parts of the broader the Study Area are outlined below.

Concept Plan and Management Plan Area:

• Land owned and managed by LMCC as Community Land or Operational Land. This land is the focus of the Concept Plan and Management Plan for the next ten years. It includes a narrow corridor of land along the main north south ridge crest of Munibung Hill, a parcel of land on the northern slopes and linear parcels of land to the east, which connect Munibung Hill to broader district level open space and active transport routes. The eastern land parcel is a key track head access point for Munibung Hill.

• A land parcel owned by Munibung Hill Pty Limited. The part of this land that is currently zoned for conservation and subject to a vegetation management plan, is included in the Concept Plan and

Management Plan Area. Several existing tracks cross this land, connecting Council owned land off

Quarry Road to the north south ridge line.

• Parcels of privately owned land that are currently zoned for conservation and are contiguous with

Council land.

Other parts of the Study Area – not included in the Concept Plan and Management Plan Area:

• Land owned and managed by the NSW Waste Assets Management Corporation (WAMC) is not included in this Concept Plan and Management Plan for the next 10 years. This land is the parts of the former

Pasminco and Incitec sites that have not been remediated. It includes Munibung Hill Reserve,

Angophora inopina Reserve and the containment cell. Council will liaise with WAMC about future potential access through this land, subject to clarification of contamination risks and future roles and responsibilities.

• Land owned by private developers and currently being developed for commercial or residential development. This land includes parts of the former Pasminco and Incitec sites. This land is not included in this Concept Plan and Management Plan for the next 10 years. Tenure, zoning, and detailed subdivision planning are progressing on this privately owned land. Council will continue to promote opportunities for access for public recreation within and from new estates.

The Concept Plan and the Munibung Hill Management Plan are informed by:

• Munibung Hill Site Context, Values and Constraints Report (Umwelt 2021a).

• Munibung Hill Options Analysis (Umwelt 2021b).

• A preliminary review of recreation and tourism opportunities.

• Consultation with Council staff, including environmental, contamination, planning, heritage, and land management specialists.

• Consultation with key stakeholders, including landowners, the Aboriginal community, and current users.

The process leading to the development of the Concept Plan and Management Plan is explained in Figure 1.2.

The Concept Plan links potential land use options to specific parts of the public land that forms the Concept Plan area, recognising the values to be protected and promoted and the constraints to be managed.