There is a lot of interest in the route the Coastal Walking track will take in or through the new Western Bushland National Park.

Randwick City Council, which has overall responsibility for the section of the track from Clovelly to La Perouse, is working with the two land owners (NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and the Commonwealth Government) on the design of the proposed walking track.

The design must consider the needs of various categories of walkers for a safe and suitable route, the concerns of neighbouring residents and the protection of the park from the damage that might result from a high volume of pedestrian traffic.

NPWS is likely to exhibit a draft Plan of Management for the new National Park in early 2013. This plan will include details of public access to the park and the proposed walking track. The draft plan will be ‬open for community input.

Friends of Malabar Headland were delighted to receive advice today (12 April 2012) that Randwick City Council’s Planning (rezoning) Proposal to rezone the western part of Malabar headland from residential to National Park has been approved by the New South Wales Minister for Planning and Infrastructure. The message from Council’s Planning Department reads:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to you to advise that Council’s Planning (rezoning) Proposal LEP Amendment No 43 to rezone the western part of Malabar headland from residential to National Park was approved by the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure on 23 March 2012 and came into effect on 30 March 2012.

This rezoning follows the recent transfer of this land by the Commonwealth Government on Friday 2 March to the NSW Government for National Park purposes.

The Council resolved on 22 February 2011 to commence a rezoning and this amendment to the Randwick Local Environmental Plan (LEP) 1998 (Consolidation), to rezone this western part of the headland to ‘8 (National Parks Zone)’. This 18ha parcel of land is Lot 102 DP 1162245 and was previously zoned:

• 2B (Residential B Zone) – covering approximately 15ha and
• 6A (Open Space Zone) and 6B (Private Open Space Zone) – with a total area of approximately 3ha (this included within the National Park zone an additional area of ESBS)

This spot rezoning recognises and preserves the unique natural and cultural heritage values of the site, provides the public with certainty over the long term protection of this land and significantly increases the national park area in Randwick City.