4. Ulladulla Harbour - Land - NSW Government

3. The townshipof UlladullaThe township of Ulladulla is situated on the south coastof New South Wales within Shoalhaven Shire. This LocalGovernment Area currently has a population of almost90,000 people. It is one of the highest growth areasoutside the Newcastle/Sydney area in New South Walesand the most visited by tourists outside of SydneyThe township of Ulladulla is approximately 100km south ofWollongong and less than four hours by road from Sydney(as shown in Figure 1). As with many coastal towns alongthe eastern seaboard of Australia, Ulladulla is growingrapidly as a result of general increase in population,the nation’s ‘Baby Boomer’ generation increasing theproportional number of retirees seeking to settle on thecoast and the ‘sea change’ phenomena. It is also a popularholiday destination, attracting visitors from Sydney,Canberra, regional NSW and Victoria.Ulladulla is sited around its picturesque and historicharbour. The area is well known for its surfing beaches,scenic hinterland, relaxed country atmosphere andfresh seafood. The harbour is a popular destination forrecreational boating and fishing, and is the focal point ofthe local commercial fishing industry.The harbour was constructed during the last centuryto meet the growing demands of the fishing industry.It is located on the southern rocky shoreline of a deepnatural bay formed between Ulladulla Head to the northand Warden Head to the south. Seaward of the harbourbreakwaters the foreshore of the bay is characterisedby rocky cliffs and platforms lined by native vegetation.Millards Creek discharges into the north western corner ofthe harbour.The local Central Business District (CBD) is situatedimmediately to the west of the harbour. The PrincesHighway runs along the western foreshore. Travellingsouth from Wollongong, Ulladulla is the first locationalong the highway that tourists have an opportunity tocome in close contact with the sea.The boat harbour is separated from the sea by twobreakwater structures. These were constructed in the early1960s and subsequently raised in the 1970s to provideimproved protection from ocean storms. The harbourincorporates one wharf, two jetties, a recreational vesselarea that provides moorings for 42 vessels, two boatlaunching ramps and two slipways.4. Ulladulla HarbourThe harbour is used by a diverse range of groups. On thenorthern side is Rotary Park. This area provides for passiverecreation, family BBQ facilities, viewing platforms andwalking tracks. It also includes the main boat launchingfacility in this region which can accommodate up to 100boat trailers within Rotary Park.Millards Beach is situated on the western side of theharbour. The narrow beach has little use by bathers duringwarmer months of the year due to other larger beachesbeing available within close proximity to the harbour.On the south western side of the harbour there arepresently a variety of activities, including storage ofdinghies along the beach to service the 42 swing mooringsin the central portion of the harbour, a small slipway whichhandles vessels up to 40 tonnes, a boat launching ramp(popular with the community) and an extremely restrictedparking area for cars and boat trailers.The Working Harbour, situated on the southern side,contains a mixed range of businesses and activities notall of which are compatible. The dominant industry, theUlladulla Fishermen’s Co-operative (Co-op), has beena major financial contributor to the region over recentdecades. Formed in the 1950s it continues to operate on asound footing and currently has some 26 fishing vessels inthe local fleet.Resulting from government restructuring of the fishingindustry, the Co-op has made a commercial decision toredesign its existing building to improve fish processingoperations and seek new business opportunities. Servicingthis industry, as well as the south coast, a large slipwayaccommodating vessels up to 200 tonnes has been builtfor boat maintenance, repainting activities and surveys.Also located in the Working Harbour are five charter boatsoffering fishing, diving and eco-tours to the public. TheRoyal Volunteer Coastal Patrol (RVCP) is also based in theharbour and operates two vessels and manages a multipurposebuilding in the south eastern corner. Opposite theRVCP building is the former abalone processing building,which is currently being used for other purposes.Council is currently implementing a plan for improvedaccess for pedestrians around the harbour and at presentis focusing on improvements in Rotary Park and thewestern side of the harbour.Over the past five years Lands has worked closely withother state agencies, Shoalhaven City Council, variousharbour groups and the local community to gain an6