Tag Archives: Gleniffer Reserves Master Plan

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Toward a sustainable future for the Gleniffer Reserves

Toward a sustainable future for the Gleniffer Reserves

Community consultation as the first step toward the Gleniffer Reserves Master Plan has begun. Input from the Bellingen Shire community is being gathered until December 19.

The development of the Master Plan will commence in early 2015 and will investigate more sustainable levels of visitation, the natural environment, visitor behavior, impacts on local residents, facilities and infrastructure. Local firm Fisher Design + Architecture is leading the consultant team, who are working with Bellingen Shire Council and a Gleniffer Working Group.

Sixteen year old Mia Rann has lived her life in the Promised Land near the Reserves. “Watching it deteriorate is really sad” she said. “One of the things about Bellingen it has always been such an accepting place, but now a lot of the people who come out here and use the river they don’t know how to treat it properly. It’s killing it. It would be really sad to see it become just another river spot because it is so much more than that to locals. You need to conserve places like this. By the end of it the resource is going to be completely dried up if we don’t take care of it”.

The local community is encouraged to fill out the Gleniffer Reserves feedback form, which can be found on the Council website at www.bellingen.nsw.gov.au or in hard copy at Council’s front desk. Further information can be obtained by emailing glenifferreserves@outlook.com or calling Council’s Economic & Business Development Manager Michael Grieve on 6655 7300

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Bellingen Shire Community Urged to Comment on Gleniffer Reserves

Bellingen Shire Community Urged to Comment on Gleniffer Reserves

The Bellingen Shire community is encouraged to contribute to the Gleniffer Reserves Master Plan. Feedback is being sought via a feedback form which can be collected from Council’s Administrative Centre or downloaded on our website at www.bellingen.nsw.gov.au. Community feedback is sought until Friday 19 December 2014.

The four Gleniffer Reserves are adjacent to private properties and next to the World Heritage Area of Dorrigo National Park and Tuckers Nob State Forests. They have been enjoyed by our community for generations. In recent years however, promotion of the Reserves by tourism organisations and local word of mouth has resulted in the area becoming increasingly popular. Gleniffer residents have reported a large increase in visitation levels to a point where it is impacting on the natural environment and local amenity.

Local residents have been caring for the Reserves for many years by maintaining the amenities and restoring the environment. Now however, the level of visitor use of the Reserves exceeds the local’s capacity to care for them.

In March Bellingen Shire Council endorsed the Community Facilities and Open Space Infrastructure Section 94 Developer Contribution Plan 2014, which included funding to establish a Master Plan for the Gleniffer Reserves. A consultant team led by local firm Fisher Design + Architecture has now been engaged by Council to facilitate community consultation and develop the Master Plan.

“I urge residents to consider how we as a community can manage the Gleniffer Reserves sustainably so that your children and their children’s children may enjoy them in generations to come” said Bellingen Shire Mayor, Cr Mark Troy.

“Your input should be provided via the Gleniffer Reserves feedback form, which is available from Council’s Administrative Centre or downloaded from www.bellingen.nsw.gov.au. We welcome all comments from the Gleniffer and Bellingen Shire communities, who have until December 19th to have their say”, added the Mayor.

Further information can be obtained by emailing glenifferreserves@outlook.com or calling Council’s Economic & Business Development Manager, Michael Grieve on 6655 7300.