Hunter Regional Environmental Plan 1989.

The Plan, made under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, consisting of 13 sections completed by five Schedules, applies to the following areas of the Hunter Region: City of Cessnock, City of Lake Macquarie, Dungog, Gloucester, Merriwa, Muswellbrook, Port Stephens, Scone. General aims and objectives of this Plan are: (a) to conserve the environmental heritage (including the historic, scientific, cultural, social, archaeological, architectural, natural and aesthetic heritage) of the Hunter Region; (b) to promote the appreciation and understanding of the Hunter Region's distinctive variety of cultural heritage items and areas including significant buildings, structures, works, relics, towns, precincts and landscapes; and (c) to encourage the conservation of certain historic townscapes (sect. 2). Further provisions are made with respect to the development and protection of heritage items, and to the factors to be taken into account for the approval of the development application by the council of the area concerned. The plan is followed by five Schedules listing the following: Items of State environmental heritage (1); Items of regional environmental heritage (2); Items of local environmental heritage (3); Items requiring further investigation (4); Conservation areas (5).