FAQs

The names, boundaries and the purposes of any Crown Reserve are determined by the NSW State Government, not Council. The names of Crown Reserves are often reflective of a past era related to the time of the publication of a notice in the NSW Government Gazette.  

In 1892, Helensburgh Park was the name given to the Crown Land by 'gazettal' for Charles Harper Park, the Helensburgh Memorial Pool, and part of Rex Jackson Park (the soccer fields, rugy fields, cricket grounds, netball, the skatepark and the bike tracks).  

Later in 1898, Helensburgh Park was still the name given to the Crown Land by 'gazettal', but this smaller land area was to the southwest of the land gazetted in 1892. Today that land includes the rest of Rex Jackson Park (the park entrance at the corner of Boomerang Street and Waratah Street, the tennis courts and Park Avenue playing fields).   

Crown Reserves have a number as well as a name provided by the State Government, to distinguish one Crown reserve from another. This is especially helpful when the reserves share the same name. Helensburgh Park Crown Reserve number 500345 is the larger reserve gazetted in 1892. Helensburgh Park Crown Reserve number 500340 is the smaller reserve gazetted in 1898. The Helensburgh Park Crown Reserves Plan of Management Area Map and the Existing Uses and Developments Map in the Documents section of this page, show the Crown Reserve boundaries of Helensburgh Park Crown Reserve Number 500345 and Helensburgh Park Crown Reserve Number 500340.    

New legislation now requires more Crown Land managed by Council to have an adopted Plan of Management (PoM). A PoM enables Council to grant long term leases and licences to community sporting and recreational clubs. It can also enable Council to use Crown land in a different way. This Draft PoM proposes to locate a new Community Centre and Library near the Helensburgh Memorial Pool. This will be subject to obtaining the required legislative consents such as adopting this draft PoM under the Crown Land Management Act and development consent under the Environmental Assessment and Planning Act 1979 for the future Community Centre and Library.  

Crown Reserves are to be used in accordance with their Crown Reserve purpose or purposes as set out in sections 2.13 and 2.14 of the Crown Land Management Act 2016 (CLM Act). Both Helensburgh Park Crown Reserves have an existing 'public recreation' purpose. Ongoing management and planned improvements to existing public recreational assets such as the Helensburgh Pool upgrades or maintaining the sports fields, for example, are consistent with the public purpose of public recreation and will continue to progress. Progressing a Community Centre and Library requires the adopting of the draft Helensburgh Park Crown Reserves PoM.

Council will consider all submissions received during the exhibition period of 19 July 2023 to 30 August 2023 at a future Council meeting before preparing a final draft of the Plan of Management (PoM) to refer back to the Minster for Lands and Property.  All submitters who provide their email or postal address details will be notified when the post exhibition report for the Draft Helensburgh Park Crown Reserves PoM is placed on Council’s website. Generally, Council reports are posted on Council’s website a week before the relevant Council meeting.