HPG welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Cockatoo Island/Wareamah Draft Master Plan (the Plan) and commends the Trust on their efforts to preserve the island’s assets and history for future generations.
HPG acknowledges the complexity of the restoration effort on Cockatoo Island, the depth of the work required to activate this important asset whilst at the same time to protect and maintain the island's heritage.
Below is the summary of HPG’s comments and position. HPGs PDF with the complete response to the Plan can be downloaded here >
This plan is considerably more realistic and authentic than the previous concept published in 2020. HPG acknowledges the complexity of the restoration effort to weave the four layers of history (natural, indigenous, convict, and maritime industrial / defence) into a unique visitor experience.
This is NOT a master plan but rather a well-developed concept document. As with other Harbour Trust Draft Master Plans, no budget estimates or timelines are included to enable an educated assessment of proposed key actions in the plan. It does not include cost estimates, priorities, or stages with respective timeframes. A business plan for setting up the required infrastructure to support the vision of greatly increased visitation is necessary for the public to comment meaningfully.
The finalised Cockatoo Island Master Plan, while not a statutory document, “will inform the future direction of the place” (p 16). The Plan must comply with the principles set out in the Comprehensive Plan as they relate to Cockatoo Island and the Cockatoo Island Plan of Management 2017. For this reason it is important that the Plan has clarity of purpose and objective. To prevent uncertainty, loose references, vague language and incomplete descriptions must be avoided.
Access is the key to success – getting to the island and getting around once there. This aspect of infrastructure should have top priority.
HPG cautions against sanitising the gritty marine industrial layer.
There should be no re-wilding with vegetation that is not endemic or the planting of trees that detract from the rugged visual impact.
HPG supports the use of a slipway for swimming but urges the Trust to keep this area natural and not have the appearance of a resort pool, for example, the harbourside swimming facility at Marrinawi Cove, located at the northern end of Barangaroo Reserve.
HPG believes Fitzroy Dock should be restored as a working dock with a functioning caisson. Potential uses could be ongoing maintenance of the many heritage vessels in Sydney. This would greatly enhance the visitor experience.
Contamination is an important issue acknowledged but not properly addressed in the Plan. For example, great care is needed in constructing the planned 20 new cabins on a contaminated mound in the north-western corner. The Trust created this mound to cap contaminated soil, which is likely to contain asbestos. Dealing with contaminants takes time and incurs great costs, which will surely affect construction priorities. HPG urges the Harbour Trust to engage specialists to assess and report on the status of all capped contaminants before signing off on the proposed actions in the Plan.
HPG appreciates the Trust’s commitment to increasing marine biodiversity by proposing to install artificial reefs and living seawalls. In doing so, they must resist the temptation to place visitor experience and aesthetic preference over scientific ecological best practices.
The Harbour Trust’s vision is for many medium to large events to be held at various locations on Cockatoo Island. There is the potential for this to impact small groups and individual enjoyment of the island.
HPG does not support the use of the Powerhouse for events and urges the Harbour Trust to preserve it intact without damaging its heritage values for visitors to appreciate the original equipment and interior of the building
Cockatoo Island has a significant national cultural and historical heritage. HPG assumes the Harbour Trust will ensure that there are no impacts on the heritage listings, including as a National Heritage Place, a Commonwealth Heritage Place and the UNESCO World Heritage Listing of the Cockatoo Island Convict Site (1839-69).
Because of the site's scale and complexity, HPG supports the Independent Review of the Harbour Trust finding in 2021 that the Trust should appoint a Cockatoo Island operations manager (in addition to the project manager for the restoration effort) should be appointed.
Finally, it is disappointing that there is no accessible document of the Plan for community members. The Trust should publish its plans in an easy-to-access format. The full version of Plan, a PDF with A3-sized pages with small fonts, is a daunting document for the public to read and absorb and is, therefore, a deterrent to commenting.