New South Wales Consolidated Regulations

BLUE MOUNTAINS LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN 1991 - REG 3

3 Objectives

3.1 The principal objectives for the City are:

(a) To identify and protect the Blue Mountains’ natural and cultural heritage, and the distinctive character and amenity of local communities; to recognise and maintain the positive qualities of the traditional lifestyle enjoyed by the residents of the City; and to recognise the importance of the Blue Mountains National Park as the setting of the City.

(b) To concentrate and contain the spread of urban development.

(c) Environmentally sensitive design and bushfire protection

(i) To locate, design, carry out and service development so that it does not exceed land capability and other physical constraints of the Blue Mountains.

(ii) To implement a bush fire management plan which will not cause unacceptable impact on Water Supply Catchment Areas or environmentally sensitive areas.

(iii) To ensure that new development is located and managed so as to reduce the threat from bushfire.

(d)

(i) To achieve unpolluted streams, land and air as well as a stable, attractive landscape.

(ii) In the short term, to attain water quality appropriate for recreational use in the headwaters of the Blue Mountains’ streams.

(e) To improve the physical quality of life for residents of the Blue Mountains.

(f) To encourage tourism and other economic enterprises and the creation of employment opportunities which are sympathetic to the Blue Mountains’ character, and promote long term sustainability in the use of resources.

(g) To promote maximum efficiency in the use of resources.

(h) To maintain and improve the social environment by ensuring the planned development of community facilities, services, programmes and other activities relevant to the needs and aspirations of residents of the City.

3.2 Additional Objectives for the Blue Mountains Ridge (ie The Sandstone Plateau from Lapstone to Mt Victoria and Bell, being a Planning District shown on Sheet 1 of the Map)

(a) To maintain and enhance the natural bushland buffer zones between towns.

(b) To ensure that development for tourism and recreation is consistent with the conservation of the natural landscape, the cultural heritage, the environment and the Blue Mountains National Park.

(c) To encourage a variety of residential development forms.

(d) To develop serviced land within existing towns for urban land uses and discourage premature development which would place an uneconomic or unreasonable burden on the provision of services and facilities on the urban fringe.

(e) To ensure that the individual and cumulative impacts of development do not have an adverse effect on stream catchments particularly associated with water supply or the Blue Mountains National Park.

(f) To encourage a high quality of design.

(g) To locate public utilities sensitively, so as to minimise environmental and visual impact.

(h) To maintain the character of the Mountains when viewed from the Great Western Highway and Great Western Railway line and reduce advertising signs on these routes.

(i) To minimise the impact of development on the Blue Mountains National Park by providing appropriate buffer areas and protecting wildlife corridors.

3.3 Additional Objectives for Megalong Valley (being a Planning District shown on Sheet 1 of the Map)

(a) To retain the low density of development in the Valley.

(b) To conserve the rural and natural landscape of the Valley, and views within the Valley and from public lookouts.

(c) To maintain the attraction of the entrance road and the characteristics of the existing roads in the Valley (ie curves, rises and falls, limited carriageway width, unpaved shoulders and verges and adjacent vegetation).

(d) To ensure that development for tourism and recreation is consistent with the conservation of the rural and natural landscape, heritage and agricultural qualities of the Valley.

(e) To maintain the agricultural capability of the Valley.

(f) To encourage a high quality of design.

(g) To locate public utilities sensitively, so as to minimise environmental and visual impact.

3.4 Additional Objectives for Mt Wilson, Mt Irvine, Mt Tomah and Berambing (being a Planning District shown on Sheet 1 of the Map)

(a) To conserve the low density, semi-rural heritage and natural landscapes.

(b) To conserve areas of natural vegetation which provide key landscape and ecological elements, in particular, the rainforest and tall open forest communities on basalt soils.

(c) To retain a pleasing combination of formal avenues and roadsides plantings, private gardens and landscaping, forests and stands of natural vegetation, attractive rural and semi-rural landscape, local vistas and distant views.

(d) To maintain the characteristics of the existing local roads, (ie curves, rises and falls, limited carriageway width, unpaved shoulders and verges, and adjacent vegetation and attractive plantings).

(e) To conserve historic building, their curtilages and landscaped settings.

(f) To ensure that the individual and cumulative impact of development does not have an adverse effect on stream catchments particularly associated with water supply or the Blue Mountains National Park.

(g) To encourage a high quality of design.

(h) To locate sensitively public utilities to minimise environmental and visual impact.

(i) To minimise the impact of development on the Blue Mountains National Park by providing buffer areas and protecting wildlife corridors.