A DRAFT Plan of Management for the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden has been finalised by Coffs Harbour City Council.

The draft will now be referred to the Crown Lands Division of the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment for its input into the plan and its approval to place the plan on public exhibition prior to the plan’s adoption by Council.

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Cr Sally Townley stated at Council’s meeting on Thursday 8 July that it was good to see “these plans of management rolling out at last”, but expressed her concern that the plan didn’t contain the work ‘koala’ once.

“The Botanic Garden is a key piece of koala habitat in our city and I would have thought that’s an integral value in that area, so I was quite surprised that it wasn’t mentioned, even once,” Cr Townley said.

Cr Townley then stated that she would be making a submission to the plan on the issue.

Cr John Arkan agreed that it was good to see the plan drafted.

“It’s really good to see this plan coming ahead and getting out there,” Cr Arkan said.

“I’d like to say how magnificent it is that this city of ours has a balanced environment.

“It’s just another example of what a magnificent place we live in, and it’s a green wonderful space in the heart of the city.”

The purpose of the plan of management is to provide a framework for the ongoing use and management of the land.

A Council report on the plan stated that the plan’s overall aim was that the reserve will “continue to provide benefits to the community”.

The plan of management authorises the wide variety of uses that the reserve has been, or is currently being used for, while also providing sufficient flexibility for Council to modify the use or management of the reserve into the future.

The plan states that the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden is “a significant cultural, aesthetic, scientific and educational resource”.

Council staff have agreed to include a commitment to undertake an exploration of the cultural heritage values of the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden within three years of the adoption of the plan.

Council must adopt a Plan of Management for all Crown reserves classified as ‘community land’ and for which Council has been appointed the land manager.

Council has been appointed manager for more than 50 such reserves, ranging from developed sites for sporting and play to undeveloped natural settings such as bushland, foreshores, beaches and wetlands.

By Emma DARBIN