The future of camping at the Newey Reserve will again be front and centre at tomorrow’s Ordinary Council Meeting, with Cobar Shire Councillors to discuss a draft Plan of Management (PoM) for the Reserve.
The 50-page draft PoM for the Newey Reserve will be presented to tomorrow’s meeting by Council’s Director of Planning and Environmental Services, Garry Ryman, for Councillors’ consideration.
It’s noted in the PoM that although a recent Local Environment Plan amendment now allows camping grounds to be considered at the Newey, Council has chosen not to permit camping.
Instead, the draft PoM proposes 13 designated parking bays for self-contained caravans and campervans, allowing travellers to stop during the day and overnight in vehicles with their own amenities.
These parking zones will sit alongside general recreational use of the precinct.
The clarification of camping arrangements comes after years of community debate over free camping at the site.
Beyond the camping issue, the PoM outlines how Council will manage the Newey Reserve, which consists of three Crown land parcels zoned for public and private recreation, over the next five years.
Because the Reserve is Crown Land, Council must manage it as community land under the Local Government Act, which requires formal categorisation and a Plan of Management.
Under the draft plan, the Reserve is divided into three community land categories—Natural Area, Sportsground and General Community Use—and split into six management precincts including picnic areas, the golf course, the watercourse and vegetation management zones.
Key issues addressed in the plan include access, recreation facilities, biodiversity, water quality, safety, and overall amenity.
The document also notes the presence of important vegetation communities, limited threatened fauna habitat, overlapping mining leases, and a pending Native Title claim (although no recorded Aboriginal sites exist within the Reserve).
If endorsed by councillors, the PoM will go on public exhibition for 28 days before returning to Council for final adoption.
A copy of the draft Newey Reserve PoM can be found on Council’s website at www.cobar.nsw.gov.au.
