Glenrock Lagoon Cultural Landscape: Conservation Management and Cultural Tourism Plan

The Glenrock Lagoon cultural landscape is a part of the Glenrock State Conservation Area (SCA) near Newcastle, New South Wales. The SCA occupies coastal land to the south of Newcastle city, between the suburbs of Merewether and Dudley.

The Glenrock Lagoon cultural landscape is of state, regional and local significance because of its rich combination of attributes of historical, archaeological, social and natural significance. Today Glenrock is the site of strong attachments in both the Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. Awabakal people maintain links with this area and other local Aboriginal people value it as evidence of the Aboriginal history of this region.

The mission of this CMCTP is to provide NPWS and the community with a creative, sustainable and achievable management approach to the Glenrock cultural landscape. This management approach is based on the integrated assessment of values, community involvement and consultation, creative interpretation and the identification of active management priorities.

Key strategies developed to achieve this mission are:

• the identification of an active management zone as a focus for interpretation, cultural tourism opportunities and for conservation actions
• an Interpretation Plan which provides for the enhanced understanding of Glenrock’s integrated values; for access and involvement for the Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities; and for the promotion of cultural tourism
• a structure for community management partnerships to suit the different groups of stakeholders
• a focus on long-term conservation objectives based on the integrated assessment of natural, historic, Aboriginal and community heritage values.

Glenrock is treasured and respected as an important recreational, scientific, cultural and environmental resource for the community’s future.

The CMCTP sits beside the Plan of Management for Glenrock State Conservation Area and provides more detailed guidance on how best to conserve, interpret and manage the Glenrock cultural landscape as a whole.