‘It’s a community service’: Clubs remain locked out of popular Woodlands lake water as algae fight drags on

Résumé détaillé

Two community clubs have been left high and dry after toxic algae forced the closure of a popular lake for almost a year, with members claiming the City of Stirling have been too…

Two community clubs have been left high and dry after toxic algae forced the closure of a popular lake for almost a year, with members claiming the City of Stirling have been too slow to act.

Jackadder Lake in Woodlands has been off-limits to recreational users since January, when water testing detected potentially harmful blue-green algae, leaving two model sailing clubs without access to the freshwater lake they have used for decades.

The City of Stirling considered how to deal with the algae after commissioning a consultant to undertake an investigation and provide a report back to council.

A consultant recommended a 12 to 24-month monitoring and investigation program, which would include water quality testing, groundwater monitoring and a sediment survey during the first year.

At its November 3 meeting, the council unanimously resolved to note the report and consider funding ongoing investigation, monitoring and sediment sampling as well as a dredging feasibility study.

An urgent budget item will also be considered so an immediate response to the problem could be funded.

“The issue is not just contact with the water, it is also inhalation of water aerosols generated by wind over the lake, so any activity that leads to groups congregating at the edge of the water was not advised,” a Stirling officer’s report said.

The Perth Radio Sailing Club, which has sailed on the lake since the 1970s, and the Task Force 72 Model Boat Club said the closure has taken a significant toll on their clubs — impacting membership numbers and the social connection built around the activity.

Task Force 72 Model Boat Club president Peter Northcott said members had struggled to find a suitable alternative to the lake, which he says the club has used for about 20 years.

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