Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L00053:body:0:p78
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L00053
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 374561–381485

As an island, there is a need for a degree of self-sufficiency, by providing accommodation and basic services such as food outlets to cater for Cockatoo's visitor, worker and resident population.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   The former restrictions on public access have served to emphasise Cockatoo's remote qualities and its distinctness from the 'urban mainland'. These qualities will be retained as the island is opened up and revitalised.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Water Access
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   The transportation of goods and people across the water is the lifeblood of the island. To meet this need, land bases on the 'mainland' have been identified, and a permanent ferry service established. Slipways, docks and wharves on the island will be repaired to facilitate this access, and mooring infrastructure will be provided to allow casual visits by private vessel.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   A Public Place
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   The past isolation of the island owes as much to its former uses as to its geography. This new phase of the island's history is being marked by openness and a sense of ownership by the people. The island is being woven back into the fabric of the city and integrated into the cultural and commercial life of Sydney. Cockatoo Island has become an important part of a network of public foreshore spaces stretching along the harbour and its tributaries.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Public access will be generally unrestricted in the open spaces; however some working areas may be off-limits for safety reasons. A network of paths and a sequence of public spaces, some within the most significant buildings, will provide access to vantage points and other areas of interest. Active areas of the island will be balanced with places of relaxation and contemplation.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   An Historic Place
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Cockatoo Island tells an important story about our island nation's historical development from a penal settlement to a maritime industrial nation, interspersed with occasional reminders of the harbourside's original landform and vegetation.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   The convicts provided the initial labour, laying the foundations of Cockatoo's maritime and dockyard history. In addition to its convict past, the island has also been home to a number of institutions. The whole island became the Commonwealth Dockyard in the early 20th Century.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   While all the phases of the island's history will be respected, certain sites will focus on the particular phase that is most pertinent at that location, such as the convict story that relates to the Military Guard house ruins and compound. Interpretive material and vantage points will provide people with a better understanding of the island's heritage values.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Heritage structures will be conserved, and where appropriate, adaptively reused. Significant and sensitive heritage items, such as some of the Convict structures will be interpreted in greater detail and items such as the Powerhouse will become working artefacts to aid their conservation and