Dear Community Members,
It is time to update you all on the Maitland City Councils new raft of concepts for our precious Walka Water Works in the latest Plan of Management (PoM) and the Master Plan.
What is most concerning is that if this PoM is adopted, Walka will be changed forever!
- The council is using the PoM to change the land use category from "for the preservation of heritage sites and buildings" to "Recreational facilities and service", a "park" and "General Community Use". If this is allowed to proceed it will allow - Caravan Parks, Holiday Accommodation and large scale developments and commercial uses associated with tourism, such as is depicted in the above concept. We must oppose this change.
- Walka should be categorised as an "Area of Cultural Significance", "Bushland", "Wetland" and "Watercourse".
2. The Master Plan Stage 2 &3 proposes a Adventure Park, Sky bicycle, zip lines, observation deck ( picture above) and indoor space that will stand 23 metres tall and take 5000 square metres of grassland, sit next to the pumphouse (on the space where the caravan park was proposed) is expected to have 227,000 visitors with 9-15 years to make it profitable. The cost to use the facility will be $95/person...family of 4 = $380. per session!
3. In Stage 2 & 3 the pumphouse there will be a "wellness" centre with a Japanese Onsen in the ground floor, cafe and function centre. For residents to enter the building it will cost $95/p for the Onsen and $127/p for the function centre.
- There are no plans for the protection of the heritage assets/relics, the pumphouse and there is no mention of adopting the Conservation Management Plan which restricts and protects the heritage components of the reserve.
4. The cost of these grand commercial plans is $44,875,115 the studies commissioned state that these concepts are not feasible and high risk yet they are still being presented to the community. This will be a debt that the community will have to pay back over a very long time. These plans are unsympathetic to Walka's heritage values and significance.
5. The Dewitt Ecology Constraints letter - identifies 4 Endangered Ecological Communities that are protected by the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 , a Macadamia grove that is Vulnerable under the EPBC Act 1999 and 17 Threatened species with in the wildlife reserve. The PoM does not outline management strategies for these species, nor identified were these species might be or the protections they need for continued survival. The PoM fails to identify any protective strategies or restoration works for the protection of Latham Snipe which is protected under the JAMBA agreement.
The Conservation Management Plan states that Walka Water Works is the "largest and finest preserved water works in Australia". It describes it as "Rare" and "Exceptional". These are words that tell us that Walka deserves to be more than a "tourist theme park" for high-end tourists. But instead is worthy of careful restoration and preservation of its fine architectural and technological masterpiece.
Walka Deserves Better!