A proposal to allow short-stay accommodation at the Barrenjoey Headland at Palm Beach under new management plans for Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park met with strong opposition from a local community group.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) recently revealed its Draft Plan of Management for Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and Lion Island, Long Island and Spectacle Island Nature Reserves.
The draft plan includes the proposed adaptive reuse of the historic buildings at Barrenjoey Head, for community opportunities or to improve visitor services, including Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage, Assistant Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage, and Boatman’s Cottage.
Part of the document states that potential future use for the Assistant Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage includes short-stay visitor accommodation. The same is also suggested for the Boatman’s Cottage which is currently being used for staff accommodation.
“Adaptive reuse of historic heritage buildings and collections can help preserve heritage values and provide greater levels of public appreciation,” the draft management plan said.
Community group The Palm Beach & Whale Beach Association, however, opposes the suggestion to repurpose the heritage buildings at Barrenjoey Headland into commercial accommodation, describing it as “tantamount to vandalism”.
“We are not in favour of providing shortstay commercial letting of the heritage buildings,” the Association stated.
“We agree that the Fishers’ cottages, which contain asbestos and are falling down, should be removed. The Boatman’s Cottage provides long-term staff accommodation which is appropriate.
“The other cottages are in reasonable condition as historical buildings but would need substantial expenditure to become suitable for commercial letting thus obliterating the original interiors and their link to the past.
“Far better to increase the number of events to be held in them such as historical talks and exhibitions in daylight hours when safety issues are not so acute.”
Public consultation on the Draft Plan of Management ended on 22 November 2022.
The group is slated to hold a rally on 22 January 2023 at Governor Phillip Park in Palm Beach.
Barrenjoey Lighthouse is among the most iconic landmarks on Sydney’s northern beaches. It was built in 1881 using sandstone quarried on-site. Barrenjoey Lighthouse is part of a number of lighthouse projects in the 19th century. To this day, its oil room and keepers’ cottages retain their original stone finish.
The Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and Island Nature Reserves Draft Plan of Management can be found here.
Published 13-January-2023
