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Riverstone East- Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment

NOHC was commissioned by Aurecon on behalf of the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) to conduct an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment (ACHA) for the Riverstone East Precinct Stage 3.


Client

Aurecon on behalf of the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE)

Location

The Riverstone East Precinct (Stage 3) is located within Blacktown Local Government Area (LGA) and is bound by Windsor Road to the northeast, First Ponds Creek in the northwest, the developing Riverstone East Stage 1 and 2 lands to the west.

Services provided

  • Literature and database research
  • Aboriginal community consultation
  • Impact assessment
  • Significance Assessment
  • Cultural Values Workshop
  • Designing with Country

The Study area
The Study area

The Riverstone East Precinct was released in 2013 and the precinct planning was divided into three stages. Stage 1 and 2 were finalised in 2016. The Stage 3 area covers approximately 169 hectares and was planned to be a low-density residential precinct, with provision for schools, open space and drainage land.

A total of 16 sites registered on the Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System (AHIMS) database are located within the Riverstone East Precinct (Stage 3).

As part of the assessment NOHC undertook a Connecting and Designing with Country workshop with several Darug Knowledge Holders and a representative of Deerubbin Local Aboriginal Land Council to provide further information on the Aboriginal cultural values of the study area and integrate these into the planning and design of the precinct.

The refined predictive model and outcomes of the cultural values workshop contributed to the design of the precinct by identifying opportunities and constraints and recommendations to minimise and avoid impact to areas identified of high and very high archaeological potential.

Neighbouring properties including Rouse Hill House and the Western Sydney Parklands provide both opportunities and constraints on the possible development of the precinct.

Rouse family and others, Rouse Hill House, 1859 - photographer Major Thomas Wingate (SLNSW)
Rouse family and others, Rouse Hill House, 1859 - photographer Major Thomas Wingate (SLNSW)
Looking across the Riverstone East Precinct
Looking across the Riverstone East Precinct
We acknowledge Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, their many diverse communities across our nation and their rich culture. We pay respect to their Elders past and present. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Australia’s first peoples and as the Traditional Owners and custodians of the land and water across the Australian landscape and seascape. We recognise and value the ongoing contribution of Aboriginal people to Australian life and how their contribution continues to enrich our society.