Blayney Road Common and Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park Management Plan

The Blayney Road Common & Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park Management Plan was prepared in 2021 by Bathurst Regional Council in consultation with key stakeholders. The plan was placed on public exhibition in February 2022 and was adopted by Council on 30 March 2022.

Council’s Bathurst Region Vegetation Management Plan (BRVMP) identifies that the development of specific management plans for key remnant vegetation areas of high conservation value is essential in the management of existing areas of remnant vegetation to improve their environmental, recreational, and visual qualities and attributes through protection and enhancement. It is this strategy that underpins the development of this Management Plan (MP) for Blayney Road Common & Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park in the suburb of Mitchell, Bathurst.

The Blayney Road Common & Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park Management Plan also aligns with Council’s Council-managed Crown Land Draft Plan of Management (CMCL POM), whose management framework sets out objectives specific to Council-managed Crown Land that is identified as ‘Park’ and ‘Natural Area – Bushland’ under the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021. The CMCL POM states that the use of parks is promoted and facilitated for the general enjoyment of residents and visitors, and that management of community lands is consistent with Councils environmental planning strategies including the BRVMP and Council adopted environmental planning directions implemented for the Reserves.

 

Goals for the Conservation and Management of the Reserve

The long-term vision for Blayney Road Common & Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park is to rehabilitate, enhance and maintain the ecological values of the area while creating and promoting an area that the community will respect, use and enjoy.

Goals for Blayney Road Common & Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park are to:

1.    Protect and enhance the natural values of the reserve, including:
            a)  to improve the extent and quality of the Box Gum Grassy Woodland CEEC;
            b)  to improve habitat values for native fauna;
            c)  to improve the condition of the reach of Jordan Creek which lies within the reserve.

2.    Integrate management of the reserve with neighbouring lands and existing land uses by engaging and working together with stakeholders such as the Bathurst & District Vietnam Veterans Association, Bathurst Pistol Club Association, Boundary Road Reserve Landcare Group, Agricultural Research Station, and greyhound slip users.

3.    Improve overall community awareness and support for the planned management of the values of Blayney Road Common & Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park and promote/facilitate responsible use and enjoyment of the area.

 

Reserve Description

Blayney Road Common & Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park is Crown Land managed by Bathurst Regional Council and is approximately 23.17ha in size. The area includes Blayney Road Common (The Common), a greyhound slipway, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park, Browning St Reserve and the area encompassing the Bathurst pistol range.

Blayney Common Man Plan Map

Image: Aerial view of Blayney Road Common, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park, Bathurst Pistol Range, and Browning Street Reserve.

It is a significant conservation and public open space asset for the city, containing one of the few remnants of White Box, Yellow Box, Blakely’s Red Gum Grassy Woodland (Box-Gum Grassy Woodland), a Critically Endangered Ecological Community (CEEC) in the Bathurst urban area, and is identified as an part of the regionally significant Mount Panorama Woodland Precinct.

Images coming soon...

Images clockwise from top left: Blayney Road Common's Box-Gum Grassy Woodland, Browning Street Reserve, John Cousins walking trail from Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park, and Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park camping grounds.