Table Of Contents

Williams River Catchment Regional Environmental Plan 1997

2   Explanatory notes
The table of contents and notes in this plan are explanatory notes and do not form part of this plan.
3   Aims and objectives
(1)  The aims of this plan are to protect and improve the environmental quality of the Williams River catchment through the management and use of the catchment’s resources in an ecologically sustainable manner.
(2)  The objectives of this plan are:
(a)  to promote sustainable use of land, water, vegetation and other natural resources within the Williams River catchment, and
(b)  to promote the protection and improvement of the environmental quality of the catchment, and
(c)  to establish a co-ordinated and consistent approach to the planning and management of the natural and built environment on a catchment-wide basis by linking the environmental planning system and total catchment management policies, programs and activities within the Williams River catchment through an endorsed catchment-wide regional planning strategy, and
(d)  to provide for changes to occur in the use of land in a manner which protects the quality of the catchment’s water resources.
4   Land to which this plan applies
This plan applies to land declared by the Minister to be a region under section 4 (6) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, being land that comprises the Williams River catchment within the local government areas of Port Stephens and Dungog, as shown on the map marked “Williams River Catchment Regional Environmental Plan 1997” (kept in the Newcastle office of the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning, and copies of which are kept in the offices of Dungog Shire Council and Port Stephens Council).
Note—
This plan applies only to the parts of the Dungog and Port Stephens local government areas which are within the Williams River catchment as shown on a deposited map.
5   (Repealed)
cl 5: Rep 2009 (285), Sch 1 [2].
6   Guidelines for public authorities
(1)  The aims and objectives of this plan (as set out in clause 3) and the Williams River Catchment Regional Planning Strategy must be taken into account when:
(a)  a consent authority determines a development application for land in the Williams River catchment, or
(b)  a public authority proposes to carry out development which does not require development consent but has the potential to adversely affect the environmental quality of land, water, vegetation or other natural resources within the Williams River catchment.
(2)  Those aims and objectives, and that Strategy, should be take into account in the preparation of each environmental planning instrument and development control plan that applies to land in the Williams River catchment.
(3)  In this clause:
Williams River Catchment Regional Planning Strategy means the Regional Planning Strategy of the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning for the Williams River catchment (kept in the Newcastle office of the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning, and copies of which are kept in the offices of Dungog Shire Council and Port Stephens Council).
(4)  This clause is not intended to create an offence against the Act.
Note—
The Williams River Catchment Regional Planning Strategy must be taken into account when clause 6 of this plan applies, in addition to the aims and objectives of this plan. Sections 4.1 and 4.2 of the Strategy provide specific considerations for applicants, councils and other public authorities to guide the assessment and determination of development applications, the preparation of local environmental plans and development control plans, and consideration of the impact of development proposed by public authorities that does not require development consent.
Schedules 1 and 2 apply new definitions for intensive agricultural land uses in the Williams River catchment within both the Dungog and Port Stephens local government areas to ensure a consistent approach to land uses which may have potential to impact adversely on the catchment.
Schedules 1, 2 (Repealed)
sch 1: Rep 2009 (285), Sch 1 [2].
sch 2: Rep 2009 (285), Sch 1 [2].