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Final Project Principles

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Leichhardt Council's 2010 Master Plan will be guided by Project Principles based on the objectives (objects) of the Callan Park (Special Provisions) Act 2002.

The sub principles and character collage are the foundation for the master plan brief. Each sub principles can be categorised into one of twelve systems. Classifying the sub principles in this way allows the master plan team to organise the issues raised during the community consultation succinctly.

Icons Biodiversity Icons Economy Icons Governance Icons Transport
Icons Built Form Icons Energy Icons Health Icons Waste
Icons Culture / Education Icons Food Icons Pollution / Emissions Icons Water

More information on the categorisation of these systems can be found here.

Objects of the Act

(a) to ensure that the whole of Callan Park remains in public ownership and subject to public control, and

(b) to ensure the preservation of the areas of open space at Callan Park that were in existence immediately before the commencement of this Act, and that extend to and include the foreshore of Iron Cove on the Parramatta River, and

(c) to allow public access to that open space, including the foreshore, for public recreational purposes of both an active and a passive nature, and

(d) to preserve the heritage significance of Callan Park, including its historic buildings, gardens and other landscape features, and

(e) to impose appropriate controls on the future development of Callan Park.

Guiding purpose

Governance

The Callan Park Act says that the Minister can contract the care, control and management of Callan Park and its buildings to Leichhardt Council or to a trust.

The community has made suggestions about how Callan Park can be managed to ensure representation and transparency.

The Callan Park Act does not define how a trust should be structured.

How could a trust be structured to ensure that it can fund and manage the care and control of Callan Park in an equitable, transparent way that is representative of the public?

Preserving and Managing Open Space

The Callan Park Act says that new development at Callan Park should not result in less open space than exists now, or more built floor area than exists now.

However there is more to preserving open space than just restricting development. Open space must be managed and maintained.

The community has raised issues about funding and maintaining all areas of Callan Park.

How can the Master Plan ensure the preservation of existing open space at Callan Park?

Public Access to Open Space that offers Active and Passive Recreation

The Callan Park Act does not describe how best to provide and maintain public access to the open space at Callan Park. There are many issues around access to and within Callan Park: car travel, parking, bike access and facilities, public transport services, access by water, and pedestrian safety within Callan Park.

The Callan Park Act does not describe how to manage equitable access to individuals and groups who want to engage in active and passive recreation.

The community has many aspirations about, and suggestions for, the types of active and passive recreation which can be undertaken at Callan Park.

How can the Master Plan address access in a way that is consistent with the objects of The Callan Park Act?

Preserving the Heritage Significance of Callan Park

The historic buildings at Callan Park do not all have the same heritage significance.

Those with exceptional significance are: The Kirkbride Block and associated buildings (Items 59-82; now occupied by the Sydney College of the Arts); The Convalescent Cottages (Items 86, 88); Former Male Convalescent Cottage (Item 56); Garry Owen House (Item 57; now occupied by the NSW Writers' Centre); The main gates (Item 99) and former Gate Lodge (Item R1; now used as a child care centre); The former Attendant's Cottage (Item R7); The former Gardener's Cottage (Item R6).

Those with high heritage significance are: The former Recreation/Activities Building (Item 92A); Stables (Item 43); Former Night Nurses' Quarters (Item 87); Cottage No 4 (Item 88A); Male Attendant's Quarters (Item 94); Farm Attendant's Cottage (Item103).

Those with moderate heritage significance include: South Gate Lodge (Item 99A); Former Stables and Cart Shed (Item 43A); Former Pumping Station (Item 85B); The Kitchen Block and Convalescent Cottage Visitors Room (Item 86A); Bomb Shelters (Item B). There are also buildings at Callan Park which have no heritage significance.

The community has made many suggestions about which buildings might be suitable for particular uses.

How can the Master Plan ensure that adaptive re-sue of buildings will maintain and potentially enhance the heritage significance of Callan Park?

Future
Development of Health, not-for-profit Community and not-for-profit Education Facilities at Callan Park

Under The Callan Park Act the only land uses that are permitted with development consent are health, community and education facilities. Retirement villages are specifically prohibited. There is a further requirement that community or education facilities must provide services on a 'not-for-profit basis'.

The Callan Park Act works in conjunction with other state and local legislation, including the Leichhardt Local Environmental Plan 2002. and the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EPA&A Act).

The Callan Park Act does not mention ecologically sustainable development, but is a specific object of the EP&A Act.

The Community has made many suggestions about ensuring that future development not only conforms with the uses specified in The Callan Park Act, but also represents environmental best practice. The community has suggested wind and solar power, water saving measures, and passive solar design.

Many individuals and groups have made suggestions about health, community and education facilities which might be suitable for Callan Park.

How can the Master Plan ensure that future development fulfils the objects of The Callan Park Act and associated legislation?

Final Project
Principles

Ensure public representation and accountability in the body that governs Callan Park.

Improve the quality of community lands through conservation, restoration and management.

Preserve public access to open space and the iron cove foreshore.

Ensure that best practice conservation processes are applied to historic buildings, gardens and other landscape features.

Ensure that Callan Park develops as a place for strengthening and restoring mental health and community wellness.

Provide a suitable transparent governance structure that can fund and manage Callan Park.

Ensure an equitable balance between passive and active recreation to contribute to community health and wellbeing.

Encourage public use of buildings acknowledged as having the most heritage significance.

Encourage complementary health, community and educational uses to maximise synergies and benefits for the community.

Ensure Callan Park is a world-leading model for social, environmental and economic sustainability.

Develop public transport and infrastructure to broaden public access and reduce traffic intrusion.

Ensure that the history of Callan Park is commemorated and documented on site.

Ensure a focus on wellbeing with an equitable balance of health, community and educational uses at Callan Park.

Ensure that community, health and education uses at Callan Park demonstrate a commitment to social, environmental and economic sustainability.

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