Heritage Council of NSW - final decision

YOUR  URGENT ACTION REQUIRED!!!!!!!!

  

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 24^th 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

heritage@heritage.nsw.gov.au

Correspondence MUST reach the address BEFORE 24^TH SEPTEMBER 2012.

Regards,

Colleen Turnbull

Secretary  NRDCAA

Heritage Register

Resolution for intention to consider listing Yorbanie and others on State Heritage Register.

“That the NRDCAA supports the listing of Yobarnie & Nevellan Keyline farms-108 Grose Vale Road
and 26 Yeomans Rd North Richmond and 302 Grose Vale Rd, Grose Vale.

The NRDCAA will prepare a submission based on the protection and retention of these significant properties.

The NRDCAA is of the firm view that any conservation management plan (cmp) must protect the Heritage of this rare site which is held in high esteem by the NRDCAA, its members and the permaculture and sustainable agricultural community.

The Heritage Council, the Developer and others have worked co-operately to reach the conclusions. This is acknowledge.

Accordingly, the cmp should be prepared in consultation with the key stakeholders including the NRDCAA, University of Western Sydney, sustainable agricultural community and Hawkesbury Harvest. The cmp must ensure the Keyline system of soil improvement, erosion control, water storage, cultivation and irrigation on undulating topography which was first developed and demonstrated on the sites are protected.

To do otherwise could lead to the destruction of the site, which Professor Stuart Hill said was the first organic farm in Australia.

The NRDCAA wants this historical site preserved for our children and generations to come.”