Southern Highlands Botanic Gardens Plan of Management
Consultation has concluded, further information will be provided shortly.
You are invited to make a submission on the draft Southern Highlands Botanic Gardens Plan of Management by Tuesday 3 October 2023.
On 16 August 2023, Council resolved to exhibit a draft Plan of Management for Southern Highlands Botanic Gardens.
A Plan of Management is a public document that sets out how community land is to be used, improved, managed, and maintained. Council develops Plans of Management under the Local Government Act 1993 and assigns one or more category to the land which will govern how the land can be used.
In accordance with s38 of the Local Government Act, the draft Plan of Management is now on public exhibition, with written submissions being received until Tuesday 3 October 2023.
Learn more and have your say:
- The draft Plan of Management can be viewed online in the Document Library or in printed format at the Civic Centre and Council libraries, and at the Southern Highlands Botanic Gardens, Bowral.
- To make a submission complete an online form below, email mail@wsc.nsw.gov.au or write to Wingecarribee Shire Council, PO Box 141, Moss Vale 2577
- All submissions must be received by Tuesday 3 October 2023.
- Ask a question or contact the Assets – Parks and Buildings Team by email mail@wsc.nsw.gov.au or on 02 4868 0888.
Community Engagement
Phase one consultation:
The community has had opportunity to have input into the preparation of this draft POM. The community engagement to inform the preparation of the draft POM took place via:
1. An on-site meeting with key representatives of Southern Highlands Botanic Gardens Inc management board on 21 February 2023.
2. Online community survey through Your Say Wingecarribee from 3 April 2023 to 1 May 2023.
This feedback identified the values, management and land use issues and opportunities. These values, issues and opportunities form the basis for management of the POM. A summary of the feedback can be accessed here What We Heard Report.
Phase two consultation:
The PoM must be developed in accordance with the public exhibition requirements of the Local Government Act. The Local Government Act requires undertaking community engagement activities when preparing a PoM, including publicly exhibiting the plan and providing opportunities for the community to comment. This allows the community to be involved and represented in the contents of a plan. In accordance with the requirements contained in the Local Government Act, council must:
- give public notice of a draft PoM for a period of not less than 28 days.
- the public notice must also specify a period of not less than 42 days after the date on which the draft plan is placed on public exhibition during which submissions may be made to the council.
- the council must, in accordance with its notice, publicly exhibit the draft plan together with any other matter that it considers appropriate or necessary to better enable the draft plan and its implications to be understood. All documents referred to in a PoM should be displayed at the same time as the draft PoM.
The Draft Southern Highlands Botanic Gardens PoM is currently on public exhibition and submissions are invited from the public until 4:30pm on Tuesday 3 October 2023.
In addition, Council held a public hearing on 13 September 2023 in respect of this draft Plan of Management, as the proposed draft POM is altering the categorisation of community land under section 36(4) under the Local Government Act. The Public Hearing report can be viewed in the document library or click here.
If you have any issues with uploading your response, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at mail@wsc.nsw.gov.au or on 02 4868 0888.
