News – Lake Macquarie City Council – 9 November 2021
Draft plan sets out future for Lake Mac’s best-kept secret
New track heads are to be established in Macquarie Hills and Speers Point to access the landmark Munibung Hill precinct and capitalise on the area’s spectacular 360-degree views outlined in a draft management plan.
Manager, Community Assets, Brendan Callander said the draft plan and accompanying draft Concept Plan focused on protecting Munibung Hill’s natural and cultural values while making it more accessible to the community.
“This is about finding the balance between protecting, managing and restoring areas of high value and ensuring people can access the site freely and safely,” he said.
“Anyone who has made the climb to the top would agree this is one of the Hunter Region’s best-kept secrets. The views of the lake, the Watagans and across the city’s suburbs are incredible.”
The Plans propose new track heads off Blaxland Road in Macquarie Hills, and off Quarry Road in Speers Point. Mr Callander said each site allowed for off-road parking and facilities like picnic tables.
“We’re planning to upgrade the tracks to and along the main north-south ridge crest from these trail heads,” he said. “They’ll be designed to provide safe access for walkers and other passive recreation.”
The management plan sets out 15 key objectives to be achieved over the next 10 years, including:
- Making walking tracks safe and stable
- Protecting Aboriginal cultural values and ecological communities
- Restricting vehicle access to essential services and emergency vehicles
- Ensuring activities provide public benefits, not private benefits
- Increasing the number of people visiting the area
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How many which ways – Getting the message into the streets
Where there’s a will there’s a way, so they say. Once upon a time, the way to spread the word, was literally by word-of-mouth; then the message stick, the homing pigeon, the telegram, the phone line, the newspaper, the radio, the television. Today there’s also something called ground stickers (see pictures) and coreflute placards as well as social media and QR codes. Council has gone to a great deal of effort to ensure that as many people as possible are aware that there is a Management Plan on public exhibition with an invitation to provide feedback.
