City of Coffs Harbour Council has endorsed a revised Aboriginal cultural heritage management plan for the local government area following feedback from the community and stakeholders.
The Council says the amended plan will enable a more balanced approach to assessing development proposals.
Developed by the Council in partnership with the local Aboriginal community, the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management Plan was adopted in 2024 and is designed to inform development and protect local Aboriginal cultural heritage.
After feedback from the community and stakeholders, an amended plan was placed on public exhibition late last year, and a revised document was endorsed by Council at its July meeting.
“City staff have been working with the Coffs Harbour and District Local Aboriginal Land Council and Gumbaynggirr Cultural Knowledge Holders to ensure the plan is appropriate for what it is designed to achieve,” said Mayor, Nikki Williams.
“The upshot is some minor changes so that low risk development – and development where extensive assessment of any cultural heritage has already been undertaken – sits to the side of the plan.”
Key changes in the amended plan include exceptions for:
- Development where no ground disturbance is proposed;
- Development where a comprehensive cultural heritage assessment has been undertaken for the land as part of a previous development application or local environmental plan amendment; and
- Low-impact development in existing developed urban areas where no cultural heritage is identified within the boundaries of the subject site.
Council’s Planning and Communities Director, Ian Fitzgibbon said in instances where a comprehensive cultural heritage assessment has been undertaken for land as part of a previous development application or local environmental plan amendment, a complying development pathway would be enabled.
“The original plan was a large body of work, providing a robust framework to protect local Aboriginal cultural heritage. The fine-tuning of that plan – after additional feedback from industry – has resulted in a more practical instrument,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.
“It’s expected the amended plan will reduce the number of applications which need to be referred to the Coffs Harbour and District Local Aboriginal Land Council.
“The plan is supported by an online cultural heritage map which has been developed by the State Government, and the community can readily access this on the City’s website.”
