Objectives

1. To ensure that the Upper Canal is taken into account in siting, designing and constructing any proposed development adjoining or in the vicinity of the Canal.
2. To ensure that the development adjacent to the Upper Canal corridor does not impact on the continued operation of the Canal infrastructure.
3. To enhance and protect the heritage significance of the Upper Canal and respect its rural landscape setting.
4. To retain a continuous landscape buffer adjacent to the Upper Canal.
5. To ensure that new development is set back and visually screened from the Upper Canal.
6. To provide public access along the Upper Canal perimeter for heritage interpretation purposes, while ensuring the security of the canal is maintained at all times.
7. To provide for the safety and amenity of the public living or visiting areas adjacent to the Upper Canal.
8. To protect water quality by preventing stormwater or other pollutants entering the Upper Canal system.

 Controls

1. Where subdivision or development (other than residential accommodation) is proposed adjacent to the Upper Canal corridor, applicants must consult with Water NSW as part of the process of preparing the development application. Any written requirements of the Water NSW must be submitted with the DA and the DA documentation must show how the requirements have been addressed.
2. Where no open space exists to provide a buffer between the development and the Upper Canal, a local road must be provided. The road must contain a landscaped verge between the road carriageway and Canal corridor. A footpath is not required to be constructed on the Canal side road verge as part of the subdivision of adjoining lands.
3. Road, pedestrian and cycleway crossings of the Upper Canal must be minimised and located and designed in accordance with Water NSW requirements.
4. A continuous landscape buffer must be provided along the western extent of the Canal. The landscape buffer must have a minimum width of 5m. Council may consider the encroachment of a pathway into this landscape buffer where it is demonstrated that such encroachment is not inconsistent with the objectives of this control. The landscaped buffer is to be incorporated into the road reservation.
5. The landscape buffer must be landscaped with native plant species of local provenance to soften the transition between the rural landscape setting of the Canal and the developable areas. A combination of native grasses and screening trees (native species) would be appropriate.
6. The design of the landscape buffer along the Canal must incorporate elements that interpret the heritage significance of the Canal and the history of the area generally. DAs for subdivision adjacent to the Upper Canal must outline the proposed measures to achieve this control. Consideration should be given to the provision of a pathway or cycleway within the landscape buffer, interpretive signage, landscape treatments and road design.
7. A security fence must be erected along the length of the boundary adjacent to the Upper Canal. The fence must be designed to satisfy the security requirements of the Water NSW, without being detrimental to the heritage significance of the Canal. Consideration should be given to the style of the fence, the use of materials and colours and landscaping to soften the visual impact of the fence from the Canal and from the development. The fence must be installed by the developer prior to any subdivision works occurring adjacent to the Canal.
8. The stormwater system must be designed to ensure that stormwater will not enter the Upper Canal. Management measures must accommodate and not impede flows from the trail drains, banks/berms, pipes/flumes/culverts/siphons that convey stormwater across the canal.
9. Any development adjacent to the Upper Canal and roads crossing the canal must be designed and constructed to minimise damage to the canal from vibration and cut and fill works. Construction techniques must satisfy the requirements of Water NSW.
10. Development must also have regard to Heritage section within Part 2 of this DCP.

Please refer to the Guidelines for Development Adjacent to the Upper Canal and Warragamba Pipelines https://www.waternsw.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/55973/Guidelines-for-development-around-Warragamba-Pipelines-and-Upper-Canal.pdf