Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L00053:body:0:p9
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L00053
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 21374–24190

and use of waterways in NSW's major ports, including Sydney Harbour. RMS is also responsible for approving (or requiring the demolition of) wharves or other structures that extend beyond the boundary of the Harbour Trust land. To assist in these processes it has prepared a number of policies that it considers when deciding whether to grant approval or not. These include:
  * Obtaining permission to lodge a development application;
  * Engineering Standards and Guidelines for Maritime Structures; and
  * Marine Habitat Survey Guidelines.
Figure 2: The Harbour Trust's Comprehensive Plan
4 SITE DESCRIPTION
INSERT FULL PAGE PHOTO

Site Description
Cockatoo Island is the largest island in Sydney Harbour at the confluence of the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers. In its original state, it was a heavily timbered sandstone knoll, rising to 18 metres above sea level. Originally it was only 12.9 hectares in size, however, its land area has been expanded to 17.9 hectares through extensive cutting, reclamation and filling. Almost all of the original land area of the island has been removed, and the current vegetation includes plants growing on the cliff faces and plantings of exotic species in the garden areas.
The island is characterised by a diversity derived from its incremental development over a long period of time. This diversity, combined with the topography make it difficult to perceive the island as a unified entity.
The island was vacant between 1992 and 2001, and many of the buildings deteriorated during this time. Some areas also contain contamination and industrial hazards resulting from over a century of shipbuilding. The lower area of the island still accommodates a range of industrial buildings, concrete pads from demolished buildings, cranes, dry docks and wharf related structures. However, many buildings and wharves were demolished after the closure of the dockyard, and this has resulted in large open areas on the northern and eastern foreshores.
Figure 3: Drawing by JS Prout of Cockatoo Island and Spectacle Island
This 1843 drawing by J.S Prout shows the southern side of Cockatoo Island with Spectacle Island to the left. It was drawn 4 years after the first convicts arrived but already the effectiveness with which they cleared the vegetation is apparent. It also shows the original topography of the island before large parts of it were quarried away and the extensive land reclamations undertaken.
Figure 4 - Precinct Areas identifies the areas referred to in this management plan as the Southern, Northern and Eastern aprons and the Plateau. Appendix 1 identifies all of the locations and building numbers of existing and previous buildings and their uses.
The buildings on the Southern Apron are the most intact of the maritime aprons. These include the two dry docks,