Aboriginal Heritage Due Diligence Report Proposed Residential Subdivision: Heidelberg Golf Club

Transcription

1 Aboriginal Heritage Due Diligence Report Proposed Residential Subdivision: Heidelberg Golf Club Cultural Heritage Advisor: Luke Falvey Heritage Insight P/L Date: December 03, 2013 Report prepared for Heidelberg Golf Club Conclusion: A CHMP is NOT required for this activity, as the property has demonstrably undergone significant ground disturbance as defined in the Aboriginal Heritage Regulations I certify that the information contained in this report is correct to the best of my knowledge. If you have any questions about this assessment, please don t hesitate to contact Heritage Insight P/L on (03) Report author: Luke Falvey BA (Hons) Archaeology Report approved by Bianca Di Fazio, BA (Hons), MA, Executive Archaeologist Heritage Insight P/L 1

2 Aboriginal Heritage Due Diligence Report, Proposed Residential Subdivision at Heidelberg Golf Club, 8 Main Road, Lower Plenty Lot(s): G PS LGA: Banyule Land Area: Approx m² Location Map: Parish: Nillumbik Address: 8 Main Road, Lower Plenty Current Use: A major sports and recreation facility (golf course) Map 1: Location of the study area at 8 Main Road, Lower Plenty (Source: DPI2013 Accessed 07/11/2013) 2

3 Statutory Requirements: Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 and Aboriginal Heritage Regulations Is any part of the activity in an area of cultural heritage sensitivity, as defined in the Regulations? Yes The study area does not intersect with or contain any areas of cultural heritage sensitivity as defined in the regulations. However, as the study area is a subdivision of the wider Heidelberg Golf Club, and a section of the property of the golf club falls within 200m of the Plenty River, part of the area is technically within an area of cultural heritage sensitivity. 2. Is or would the proposed activity carried out on the land be a high impact activity, as defined in the Regulations? Yes Subdivision of land into three or more allotments for residential allotments (r. 46 (1) (a) and (b) is a high impact activity. 3. Can significant ground disturbance be established? Yes The site inspection undertaken for this due diligence assessment showed that the study area had been subject to significant ground disturbance as defined in the Aboriginal Heritage Regulations : Is a CHMP required for the proposed Activity? No A CHMP is NOT required for the proposed activity as the study area has undergone significant ground disturbance as demonstrated by the land use history and the site inspection. 5: Is there a Registered Aboriginal Party (RAP) for the study area? Yes The Registered Aboriginal Party for the study area is the Wurundjeri Tribe Land Compensation and Cultural Heritage Council Inc. Consultation with the Wurundjeri has not been undertaken as part of this assessment. 3

4 Existing Conditions: The study area is located at 8 Main Road, Lower Plenty, approximately 20km northeast of the Melbourne CBD. The proposed development area is a subsection of the Heidelberg Golf Club (Map 2), and is bound by the Heidelberg Golf Club entrance drive to the west, residential housing to the north, the golf course itself to the east, and electoral transmission lines to the south. Any works within the Heidelberg Golf Club have the potential to trigger a CHMP as the southern section of the golf course falls within 200m of the Plenty River, and the eastern section of the course contains three Aboriginal places. Both areas are of cultural heritage sensitivity and trigger a CHMP unless any area has been subject to significant ground disturbance as defined by the Aboriginal Heritage Regulations 2007: disturbance of - (a) the topsoil or surface rock layer of the ground; or (b) a waterway by machinery in the course of grading, excavating, digging, dredging or deep ripping, but does not include ploughing other than deep ripping. The study area is currently a driving range for the Heidelberg Golf Club, comprised of a landscaped fairway, and modified ground surfaces. This study area falls within the Anderson Creek Formation, a geological region composed of sedimentary marine siltstone and thin-bedded sandstone laid down approximately 433 million years ago. These weathered sandstones are generally evident in clusters on the surface where overlying soils have weathered away. The topsoils in the region were generally shallow silts (<400mm depth) and have since been overlain by sands for the golf course. Map 2: Existing Conditions in study area (Source: DPI2013) 4

5 Land Use History Prior to the establishment of the Heidelberg Golf Club, the property was purchased, cleared and subdivided by James Morgan in 1855 for agricultural purposes. The property was later purchased in the mid 1880s by a Mrs Thomas and was known as Bryn Teg. The Heidelberg Golf Club was established on the land in 1927, and has consistently undergone improvements during this time. These improvements and maintenance works involve excavation and constant manipulation and alteration to the landscape, and also include the relocation of the main entrance in Aerial photography was obtained as part of this assessment and shows the study area has undergone significant ground disturbance since at least Figure 1 is a 1945 aerial image showing the presence of the golf course, and the main drive which once exited at the intersection of Main Road and Old Eltham Road. Figure 2 show the existing conditions in overlay on the 1945 aerial photograph which clearly shows that the forked old entrance road once ran directly though the study area. The old entrance road was flanked by trees. Figure 3 is a 1963 aerial image taken during the expansion of residential development in the area and shows the high impact that was under way associated with the duplication of Main Road and the construction of the Lower Plenty Hotel. Figure 4 is a 1971 aerial image showing the relocated main entrance road and the demolished old entrance road. The study area in this image has clearly been subject to some degree of ground disturbance at this time, particularly involving the removal of large trees and grading in the course of levelling the entire area. Dial Before You Dig mapping shows that the study area has also been impacted by the construction of a APA gas main running the length of the study area connecting the golf club to the town supply at Main Road. Figure 1: 1945 aerial image of the study area 5

6 Figure 2: 2009 and 1945 aerial images overlay showing study area Figure 3: 1963 aerial image of the study area 6

7 Figure 4: 1971 aerial image of the study area Figure 5: Dial Before You Dig map showing location of APA gas main. 7

8 Golf course landscaping During the development of a golf course landscaping techniques generally involve the wholesale stripping and remodelling of the topsoils. Whilst it is likely that the majority of the Heidelberg Golf Club was designed to utilise the original landscape, the study area is likely to have undergone the most significant amount of landscaping on the wider property in order to refurbish the land covered by the old road. Landscaping of Hole 6, approximately 100m to the north east, was undertaken in the past, and photographs taken during those works show the extent to which golf course landscaping impacts on the landscape (Plates 1 and 2). The ground disturbance evident in these photographs is considered significant ground disturbance as defined in the Aboriginal Heritage Regulations It is highly likely that the study area was subject to similar landscaping in the late 1960s after the relocation of the entrance road. Plate 1: Showing heavy machinery undertaking significant ground disturbance during works at Hole 6. Plate 2: Showing extent and depth of ground disturbance required for landscaping works at Hole 6. 8

9 Results of Aboriginal History and AAV Site Registry (ACHRIS) Searches A search of the Aboriginal Affairs Victoria (AAV) site registry was carried out on November 08, This search showed that the study area has been partially subject to previous archaeological survey and contains two registered Aboriginal places. The first site, VAHR , comprises a single isolated quartz artefact which was located on an access track. The second site, VAHR , comprises a single isolated artefact.both of these sites recorded within the Golf Course were assessed as having low scientific and cultural potential due to their isolated nature and the disturbed deposits in which they were found. A third previously recorded site, VAHR , comprised a collection of subsurface artefacts which were collected from their original location. This place was located outside the bounds of the golf course and adjacent to the Plenty River to the south. All archaeological reports undertaken with a 2km radius generally predate the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 with the exception of CHMP and CHMP The most relevant archaeological report in the region is The Lower Plenty River Archaeological Survey (Weaver 1991). This report encompassed a pedestrian survey of all public land along the Plenty River from the Maroondah Aqueduct at Greensborough to the confluence of the Yarra and Plenty Rivers. During the course of this survey Weaver (1991) identified the VAHR and VAHR Aboriginal places within the golf club. Weaver (1991) concluded that isolated artefact sites of this type are of low significance and there was no archaeological reason why such sites should be retained. These studies suggest that the study area is unlikely to contain Aboriginal cultural material as it has been fully landscaped in the past. Results of an inspection of the study area The site inspection assessed the condition of the study area in three primary sections. The driving range (graded, filled and levelled area); the spoil mound; and the modified channel (Map 3) 9

10 Map 3: Showing the three main types of ground disturbance The driving range The driving range within the study area was bound to the south by overhead electrical transmission lines and the landform itself generally sloped away to the north and west (Plates 3 and 4). The slope itself was generally smoothed over, and there was no sign of prior tree removal or the prior entrance road. This section showed micro relief undulations in surface such as a slumped line running along the approximate alignment of the APA gas main (Plate 5). The western half of the driving range has been significantly filled up to create a level surface at the southernmost end of the study area (Plate 6). A patch of erosion at the north eastern end of the driving range showed that the underlying soil deposits comprised silty clays which had been mixed through with gravels (Plate 7), and this is a sign of ground disturbance. The unnaturally smooth nature of the slope and the absence of any evidence of the prior entrance road suggest that the driving range has been landscaped in the past. This landscaping must have involved disturbance of the topsoil in the course of grading the landscape to obtain a level slope and therefore corresponds with significant ground disturbance. 10

11 Plate 3: View north of the driving range Plate 4: View south of the driving range showing the slope to the west Plate 5: Showing slumped relief along matching APA gas alignment 11

12 Plate 6: Showing slope created by filling Plate 7: Showing underlying soils 12

13 The spoil mound To the north of the driving range there is an artificial mound approximately one metre in height (Plate 8). This mound is separated from the driving range from a small gully (Plate 9). Fluvial erosion at the base of this gully showed highly disturbed soils including ceramics and bitumen (Plate 10). This spoil mound is the accumulation of graded overburden during landscaping works of the driving range. The disturbed soil evident in Plate 10 shows that the ground surface over which the spoil mound was deposited has been subject to significant ground disturbance. Plate 8: Showing the shape of the spoil mound Plate 9: Showing the location of the spoil mound 13

14 Plate 10: Showing the disturbed soils at the spoil mound The modified gully Although the appearance of the gully on the north side of the spoil suggested that lower levels of disturbance had occurred in this area, the smooth slopes are consistent with the landscaping of the wider golf course. Plate 11 shows the approximate location of the original entrance drive, and there was no evidence of this driveway in the landform. This suggests that the entire area has been significantly modified, probably in part during the landscaping works undertaken in the study area and in part during the construction of the adjacent housing during the suburbanisation of the surrounding land. At the base of the gully runs a stormwater drain. This stormwater drain (evident through the grate) measured approximately 500mm in diameter, ran in a westerly direction and was likely installed following the closure of the old entrance road. Topsoils in this section showed ground disturbance similar in nature to those observed on the driving range (Plate 13). Methods for the installation of a stormwater drain involve the disturbance of topsoils by heavy machinery in the course of excavating, and the landscaping of the gully, as with the driving range, would have required grading my heavy machinery. Plate 11: Facing north, showing the approximate location of the old entrance drive 14

15 Plate 12: Showing part of the storm water drain Conclusions from Assessment Plate 13: Showing soils in the modified gully This assessment has found that the study area has undergone significant ground disturbance within the definition of the Aboriginal Heritage Regulations Significant ground disturbance has been caused by the following activities: The removal of the old entrance road which was once aligned directly through the study area would have caused disturbance of the topsoils by machinery in the course of grading, excavating, and removal of trees in order to prepare the land for landscaping; The removal of large sized trees which flanked the old entrance road caused disturbance of the topsoils by machinery in the course of digging for the removal of their root systems; The landscaping of the driving range would have caused disturbance of the topsoils by machinery in the course of grading, excavating, and filling in order to landscape the fairway; 15

16 The landscaping of the spoil mound and modified gully would have caused disturbance of the topsoils by machinery in the course of grading, excavating, and filling in order to landscape those areas to a level consistent with the wider golf course; and The installation of the gas main and storm water drain caused disturbance of the topsoils by machinery in the course of deep excavation and digging for its installation. It is clear that the study area within the property at 8 Main Road, Lower Plenty, meets the criteria for significant ground disturbance, as large scale excavation works have been carried out over the past 80 years across the site, much of which was conducted after the relocation of the old entrance road in during the late 1960s. Overall the site is of an extremely disturbed nature as it comprises a golf course with drainage lines, utility installations and is highly landscaped as part of its general nature. Implications of the Assessment A mandatory Cultural Heritage Management Plan (CHMP) is not required by the Aboriginal Heritage Regulations 2007 for this property as it has clearly undergone significant ground disturbance as defined in the Aboriginal Heritage Regulations A voluntary CHMP is not warranted as there is a very low likelihood that any Aboriginal cultural material will be found on the property due to its disturbed nature. Although a mandatory CHMP is not required for the study area, the client should be aware that the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 provides blanket protection for Aboriginal Cultural Heritage. In the event that suspected archaeological sites are found during the works within the study area the following protocol should be followed to ensure compliance with the Act. If any suspected Aboriginal cultural material is located during works within the study area, the following steps MUST be undertaken. All works within 25m of the relevant discovery area must cease immediately and if necessary protective fencing erected around the relevant area; The person making the discovery shall immediately notify AAV, the RAP and a Cultural Heritage Advisor; The RAP for the study area is the Wurundjeri Tribe Land Compensation and Cultural Heritage Council Inc. While works are suspended the nominated project delegates and the Cultural Heritage Advisor must evaluate the Aboriginal cultural heritage. An appropriately qualified Cultural Heritage Advisor must be engaged to record the findings and advise on possible management strategies. 16

17 References Scibilia, J, and K Oataway Residential Development, 29 Para Road, Lower Plenty Cultural Heritage Management Plan CHMP Coburg: Dr. Vincent Clark & Associates. HI Library Folder. Electronic. Weaver, F The Lower Plenty River Archaeological Survey: A Survey for Aboriginal And Historical Archaeological Sites, Forming the Heritage Component of the Lower Plenty River Concept Plan. AAV Report 418. Fiona Weaver. HI Library Folder. Electronic. 17