An Environmental Park is a park with a primarily ecological purpose, being the protection of an area of significant environmental value. These parks protect and enhance biodiversity by providing habitat for flora and fauna and may include movement corridors. These parks are planned and managed to protect environmental values, but are often also embellished to enable recreational use, such as a pathway or a cycleway.
NSW Local Government Act 1993
The NSW Local Government Act 1993 Part2 relates to Public Land.
Division 2 sets a classification system, procedures and requirements for council's management of Public Land. The Act requires that Public Land is categorised, through the preparation of draft "Plans of Management". Clause 36 provides a list of land categories to be applied, and a category called "Natural Area" is included in this list (alongside of sportsground, park, area of culture significance and 'general community use'). 36 (5) requires that Natural Areas are further described as one or more of the following: bushland, wetland, escarpment, watercourse, foreshore etc.
The core objectives set out for 'natural areas' (Division 1, 36E) and paraphrased here include to: conserve biodiversity; maintain ecosystem function; maintain the land in its natural state; provide for the restoration and regeneration of the land; provide for 'low impact' (sic) community use of and access to the land and compliance with the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act.