Reserve planning

Planning is an important part of your role as a non-council Crown land manager. The type of plan you develop will depend on factors such as the number, type and complexity of the Crown reserve/s you manage.

Strategic plans for non-council Crown land managers

A strategic plan outlines the long-term goals, priorities and actions for the Crown reserve/s you manage. It should provide both you, and the users of the reserve, with a transparent and accountable framework for the direction of the reserve.

All Crown land managers are encouraged to prepare a strategic plan for the Crown reserves in their care, control and management.

A strategic plan should: 

• consider the current state of the Crown reserve that you have care, control and management of
• set the future direction and goals that you want to achieve for the reserve
• identify what actions you need to complete to achieve these goals
• identify key stakeholders and how to effectively engage with them
• have a lifecycle of 5 to 10 years, i.e. plan to review and update your strategic plan every 5 years.

At a minimum, the strategic plan needs to:

• ensure that the existing and proposed use/s of the Crown reserve are consistent with its reserve purpose
• analyse how current activities on the Crown reserve align with the priorities of the  Crown land 2031 State Strategic Plan
• consider assets on the reserve, including ongoing maintenance and any new assets required for community use, along with the associated budget requirements
• outline current and proposed projects
• consider the funding streams available to the reserve, including income such as from tenures, and grants.

Contact us if you need help or advice preparing a strategic plan.

While all reserves should have a strategic plan, more complex reserves may need a plan of management. 

Plans of management are legal documents that guide how Crown land will be sustainably managed. A plan of management provides:

• detailed information about the Crown reserves social, environmental and economic values
• sets objectives and performance targets for managing the reserve
• provides for active land management and use, including issuing tenures over the reserve.

Non-council Crown land managers (CLMs) may be directed, under s3.33 of the Crown Land Management Act 2016 (CLM Act), to develop a plan of management with guidance from the department on what should be included.

If you think that a plan of management is required for your reserve/s, please contact us to discuss this further.

Under the Local Government Act 1993 and the CLM Act, Council CLMs must prepare plans of management for the community land, including Crown land, they manage. Refer to Council Crown land managers for more information.

If you manage a Common under trust refer to management plans for commons for more information.

A plan of management defines the value, use, management practices, and intent of the public purpose for which the land has been reserved or dedicated. It clearly states what, why, how and by whom the values of a reserve are being managed.

The plan of management must be consistent with:

• the public purpose for the reserve
• the principles of Crown land management
• other guidelines, policies, and legal requirements that may apply to the reserve, such as:
  • environmental planning instruments (for example, a local environmental plan) and development control plans made under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979
  • threatened species or native vegetation controls.

A plan of management must be prepared in line with the CLM Act, under s3.36(1) a plan of management may be adopted by the minister who administers the CLM Act.

A plan of management may be prepared by a Crown land manager, either with prior consent or direction from the minister. 

A draft plan of management must be written in accordance with any guidelines made by the Minister, be submitted to the department for review, and follow the Community Engagement Strategy which sets out consultation and exhibition requirements, including a 42 day exhibition period.

Once the Minister has adopted a plan of management, it is published and made accessible to the public. Crown land managers are then required to adhere strictly to the adopted plan of management, and they are not permitted to undertake any development or activities that fall outside the scope of the approved plan.

Note: You must contact us before preparing a plan of management.

The level of detail required in a plan of management will vary depending on the complexity of the reserve. As a minimum a plan of management may include but not be limited to:

• the values of the reserve – what the community sees as important or valuable about the reserve
• maps of the reserve, such as a location map showing cadastral boundaries
• a description of the reserve, including the reserve purpose and current uses
• any legislative restrictions on the reserve such as local zoning requirements
• if the reserve has native vegetation, or important or threatened natural features or species
• if specific clearing controls apply to the land to prevent erosion
• any particular risk matters, such as coastal erosion, flooding, bushfire or hazardous terrain
• locational context, such as surrounding land uses
• acceptable uses – Crown land may only be used for the purpose/s for which it has been reserved or dedicated, a use that is incidental or ancillary to that purpose, or a use that has been authorised by legislation
• leases and licences, existing and proposed tenures should be included and must be consistent with the reserve purpose
• strategies for maintaining, promoting and funding the reserve
• action plan, how strategies identified will be achieved, their priority and timeframe for implementation.