Brisbane Water Plan of Management - Gosford City Council - NSW ...

shore viewpoints;
b
c
d
e
Varied opportunities for recreation including boating, fishing, nature walking and
sightseeing;
Access to the waterway and surrounding shorelines; and
Opportunities for general recreation and education activities.
The natural ecosystem of the estuary.
These elements can often be enhanced by improving the opportunities and ability to
obtain easy access to the waterway to improve fishing, boating, walking and other general
recreational and educational pursuits. Brisbane Water can be enhanced by maintaining
and/or rehabilitating the natural ecosystem of the estuary.
The visual landscape character and attractiveness can be enhanced by controlling
unsightly, cluttered and inappropriate foreshore and waterfront development. This also
relates to minimising waterway use conflicts that can occur between estuarine leases
such as oyster farms, transport networks associated with commuter ferry services,
recreational boating , fishing, sport and club boating activities and events.
The aesthetic values and elements provided by Brisbane Water would be detracted from
by uncontrolled and excessively intensive urban and waterway use and development.
That this plan of management has been prepared to provide guidance to Council,
government authorities and the community with relevant jurisdiction and management
responsibilities in decision making over the allocation of the resources of Brisbane Water.
Initially, this plan of management will cover only the estuary and foreshore areas, but will
later be expanded to include the catchment area of Brisbane Water upon the
establishment of a Catchment Management Committee for Gosford.
The broad objective of this plan of management is to define guidelines and procedures for
the conservation and possible restoration of the environment of Brisbane Water from
further detrimental change while allowing sustainable and environmentally sensitive use
of renewable natural resources to continue. This is a difficult aim given the heavy
pressures for continued development and difficulty of defining just what "sustainable"
means for the complex biological systems involved. Accordingly, this plan has been
produced by making best use of existing research, assistance from other agencies
affecting Brisbane Water. The Brisbane Water Plan of Management and Catchment
Management Committee has been the motivating force behind the plan which, itself was
generated by large scale community and government concern about the degradation of
Brisbane Water and the growing conflicts over its use and management.
1.6 Ecosystems Approach To Management
Complex natural systems such as Brisbane Water are comprised of many interacting
environmental components. Each of these components taken in isolation has an intrinsic
value in terms of flora and fauna, water-scape and landscape and geomorphic processes.
When combined, these components interact to support each other in landform stability,
landscape and water-scape variety and ecological niches, acquiring an environmental
value substantially greater than the sum of the individual components. Because of this
interaction, the loss or degradation of any one of these environmental components may
cause wide disruption to a natural system. Another consequence is that problems
inevitably arise if components are managed in isolation without considering potential
Brisbane Water Plan of Management - July 1995 Page 5