Chapter Four |
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W6-D4 - Burnum Burnum Track Central |
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| Sub-section |
| Start and finish |
Treloar Place to Mill Creek Access Track |
| Distance |
2km |
| Grade |
2-3 |
Time |
1hr (walking) 0.5hr (cycling) |
| Main features |
- 90% Fire Trails, 10% quiet streets
- Rock shelters
- Elevated views of Barden/Mill creeks
- Variety of plant communities
- Buckle Reserve
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| Description |
90% on Sydney Water Sewage maintenance tracks, 10% quiet streets. To end of Treloar Pl through Pipecrate FT to Barnes Crescent opposite. Rejoin FT, two steep sections with signs of gullying track junction. South west arm for 300m to Mill Creek. |
| Facilities |
- Menai Public School
- Buckle Reserve
- Close to shops
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| Opportunities and constraints |
- Interpret the journey of Barden Creek/Mill Creek - lookouts
- Biodiversity, Cultural, Historical, Geographical Education
- Local area studies for 10 schools in local area
- Develop low key picnic site by Mill Creek
- Interpret Old Mill site
- Evidence of increasing trail bike use
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| Actions Required |
- Address Access Control as a priority - eg POM
- DA by SSC, Statement of Environmental Effects
- 3ACPs - Gates, Stiles, Barriers, Fencing
- Information and Safety Sign - Type 3 at Mill Creek, Type 1 at Treloar End
- 5 x waymarkers
- Educate Trail bikers
- Promotional and Curriculum material
- Amend zoning regulations to include cycle access.
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| Current Status/Zoning |
Zoned 7(b) by SSC, maintained by SSC and RFS
Subject of Metropolitan Greenspace Funding Bid by SSC |
| Priority |
A |
| Estimated cost |
$30k |
| Stakeholders Community |
West Menai and Barden Ridge PRA, Menai Public School, NPA, Menai Wildflower Society, Buckle Reserve Sports Clubs |
| Agency/Land Manager |
SSC, DIPNR, Gandangara LALC, Sydney Water |
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Rationale:
This section of the route utilises a network of fire trials originally constructed by Sydney Water to install sewerage system for the residential development on the plateau. The advantages of the fire trail system are that it is well maintained and roughly follows the 50 metres contour line along the escarpment offering excellent vantage points overlooking the rugged topography of Barden and Mill Creek valleys.
At the junction of the Mill Creek spur it is recommended that a cycle rack be provided and signs showing "no bikes allowed".
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Mill Creek Spur - Gandangara Link
A switchback constructed by Sydney Water heads south west from the main fire trail down to Mill Creek where there is a small clearing beside the river suitable for a low key rest/picnic area. Left over large water supply/sewage pipes are stacked up at the bushland edge of the site.
The river is fordable at low tide. The land on the far side is in the custodianship of the Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council.
Approximately 200 metres south of the clearing, on the same side of the creek, are remains of an old flour mill dating back to 1920 and a weir which acts as an artificial boundary between the tidal and freshwater sections of Mill Creek.
The weir provides a safe dry weather crossing of the Creek and represents a key link to a proposed walking track network proposed by the Gandangara LALC using existing management trails. The scheme is one element of the Gandangara Living Culture and Learning Centre project on their lands, seeking to address severe environmental degradation within Mill Creek catchment and provide ongoing employment and training opportunities for Aboriginal people from the local area and other parts of Sydney.
As part of the community consultation for this feasibility study, the project coordinators have made close ties with the Community Park Rangers currently employed by Gandangara LALC to manage the lands and organise community involvement in the ongoing bush regeneration process.
An embryonic partnership of mutual cooperation has developed based on objectives common to both the Great Kai'mia Way vision and the Living Culture and Learning Centre project, namely:
- Creating sustainable routes for people to educate and raise awareness of the value of the catchment, its role in supporting biodiversity, cleaning water, protecting important Aboriginal cultural and spiritual sites.
- Promoting closer ties between indigenous and non-indigenous groups.
The partnership has brought together other community groups including West Menai and Barden Ridge Precinct Residents Association and Sandy Point Progress Association as well as Sutherland Shire Council Officers to examine potential track routes across the entire West Menai area. (These are outlined in more detail in Chapter 3 of the Georges River Way section). |
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• The Glen 
Sutherland Shire Environment Centre | Suite 4 (1st Floor), 2-4 Merton Street, Sutherland NSW 2232