Kamay 2020

The Kamay 2020 Project to implement the Master Plan is managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Kamay 2020 Project Board. The Board membership is listed below:

• The Hon. Bruce Baird AM, Chair Kamay 2020 Project Board
• Ms Julie Adams
• Lil Gordon, Head of Aboriginal Affairs NSW
• Mr Greg Holland
• The Hon. Dr David Kemp, Chair of the Australian Heritage Council
• Dillon Kombumerri, Principal Architect NSW Government Architect
• The Hon Ben Morton MP, Member for Tangney, Western Australia
• Cr Carmello Pesce, Mayor Sutherland Shire Council
• The Hon Mark Speakman MP, Member for Cronulla
• Noeleen Timbery, Chair of the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council
• The Hon. Robert Webster
• Dr Atticus Fleming, Deputy Secretary National Parks and Wildlife Service

Funding has been provided by the Australian and New South Wales Governments. National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is also working with partner organisations to deliver this project including Transport NSW.

The Kurnell headland has been a special place to Aboriginal Australians for thousands of years. It is a place of meeting, of ceremony and of plenty. As the landing place of the HMB Endeavour, Kurnell represents a significant place in Australia's history and represents the early contact between Aboriginal Australians and European explorers. The National Parks and Wildlife Service was given responsibility of Kurnell in 1967 and the Botany Bay National Park including La Perouse was gazetted in 1988. In 2016, 'Kamay' was added to the name of the national park to acknowledge the traditional owners of this land, the Gweagal.

The Kamay 2020 Project was informed by the Master Plan and Plan of Management which were developed to protect, enhance and share the special values of the national park:

• The Master Plan will improve the Kurnell precinct, with new visitor facilities and quality visitor experiences that respect and highlight the cultural importance of this place.
• An updated Plan of Management for the whole park defines how National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) will look after special places and values, provide opportunities for visitors, and work with the community to manage this park. The values identified in the plan of management inform what improvements can occur in the park.

During the development of these Plans, community engagement was undertaken with Aboriginal communities, the local Kurnell community, park users and visitors and school and education users among others involved in this process. The full summary of the engagement activities during this process can be found in the Summary of community and stakeholder engagement: Kamay Botany Bay National Park, Kurnell.

Due to current restrictions around COVID-19, planned activities to respectfully commemorate the 250^th anniversary of the meeting of cultures at Kamay Botany Bay National Park unfortunately are unable to go ahead. This includes Sutherland Council’s Meeting of Two Cultures event on the 29 April and the Gweagal Ceremony on the 28 April.

Kamay Botany Bay National Park is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register. A conservation management plan for the Meeting Place Precinct at Kurnell was prepared in 2008 and endorsed by the NSW Heritage Council. Any major site works will be subject to rigorous environmental planning procedures in accordance with the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and formal approval of the NSW Heritage Council under the Heritage Act 1977. The site is also recorded on the National Heritage List under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

As part of the Kamay 2020 Project, NPWS has partnered with Transport NSW to deliver ferry infrastructure to connect La Perouse and Kurnell across the bay. A ferry service ran along this route up until 1974 when the wharves were destroyed in storms. Funding for Kamay 2020 will contribute to this project and more information will be circulated as the project progresses.

Randwick City Council is responsible for the La Perouse Museum and has been undertaking a separate project focussed on this area. More information on this project can be found on the Council website.