Dear Fellow Member of the NRDCAA and
those who care for the Hawkesbury ,
The Heritage Council of NSW is about
to make a final decision on the listing of “Yobarnie and Nevallen” Keyline
Farms on the State Heritage Register. The Heritage Council has done much work
since our original request for listing in February 2009 and now recommends that
“Statutary listing at local and State level is appropriate”. They also
ask for letters of support or objections from the public (which includes
Developers and Planners) by 24th September 2012. The NUMBERS
OF LETTERS RECEIVED IS IMPORTANT and demonstrates local interest in
conserving the landscape and evidence of the “Keyline” system. The NRDCAA
committee will make a formal submission in line with and summarising the
previous comprehensive one.
We ask members of the NRDCAA and those
who care for the Hawkesbury to write a short letter supporting listing.
Following is information and suggestions that you could use.
Please get your family and friends to
write too- even if you write the letter for them . We have been working to
preserve the Hawkesbury and this represents the possibility of some success.
Suggestions:
Your letter should:-
State your support for listing (as the
history of a unique development will otherwise be lost to future generations.)
State your reason(s). This should be
in line with one or more of the criteria used for assessment.
Here are 5 relevant criteria( others
on the Heritage website).
Historical significance
Technical achievement
Research and educational value
Rarity
Improvement to steep land and poor
soil.
Some suggestions that you might like
to use in your letter:-
Australian agriculture was established
in the Hawkesbury. P.A. Yeomans was the first to develop methods of improving
productivity by a self-sustainable system of irrigation.
Yeoman’s technical skills enabled him
to invent a system which conserved and efficiently used water, prevented
erosion, fireproofed the land, increased soil depth and mitigated downstream
flooding. It also sequestered carbon. This had never been done before.
The “Keyline” system has been adopted
world- wide and is the basis for “Permaculture” . We have the original here at
“Yobarnie” and “Nevallen” . They are available for education and research.
This system and the two properties are
unique.
The system produces a sustainable
landscape with increased production whereas normally steep land is hard to
maintain and utilise.
The address for your letters/emails
is:
Heritage Council of NSW
Locked Bag 5020
Parramatta NSW 2124
Correspondence MUST reach the address
BEFORE 24TH SEPTEMBER 2012.
Regards,
Colleen Turnbull
Secretary NRDCAA