| By Anthony Radford
Toxic lake fear for Neangar residents
EAGLEHAWK’S Lake Neangar is a potential health threat to nearby residents, and there is absolutely nothing they can do about it.
For years residents have complained to the City of Greater Bendigo council and the state government about the lack of water in the lake and the infestation of ibis and silver gulls on the island.
The stench from the bird droppings is forcing nearby residents to close their doors and windows and some locals are refusing to take their usual evening walk around the lake.
The droppings are also destroying other lake facilities, including the once-popular ampitheatre, and the birds themselves have started nesting on the island in neighbouring Lake Tom Thumb.
That has raised fears that well-vegetated island could also become denuded of all greenery and become a similar blight on the landscape.
Fears have also been raised about the amount of bird droppings on the Lake Neangar island potentially carrying a fatal bird disease that can affect humans.
The lake and its surrounds have been described as an eyesore for the proud Borough, with some claiming the situation would not be allowed to occur at Lake Weeroona or leafy Kennington Reservoir.
However, after years of complaints and countless numbers of hours spent trying to find a solution, it has been revealed because the birds are native there is nothing that can be done to stop them nesting or living on the island.
One prominent resident, who asked not to be named, said the close-knit community of Eaglehawk was disgusted in its lake and wanted to find a solution.
“Every single person you talk to will tell you how disgusted they are,” she said.
“When it was dry it was in a better condition than this. It is unbelievable.
“Authorities have to realise there is more than one lake in Bendigo.”
The woman said she was a regular user of the lake, but had limited her visits in recent months.
“When I come home I can actually smell it on my clothes,” she said.
“It would be a lot cleaner environment to walk around the lake at the tip.
“It breaks my heart to see it like this.”
Ian Wild has been an Eaglehawk resident for 70 years and said Lake Neangar was in the worst condition he had ever seen it.
“The worst thing they ever did was put that island in, but the greenies wanted it,” he said.
“There used to be fishing and rowing in the lake, but that is a thing of the past.
“It is absolutely disgusting the way it is now. I don’t know how people can live around it.
“A lot of people also won’t walk around it any more.”
Another prominent local agreed.
“It is a real joke,” he said.
“They are not putting enough water in it, and they are taking a lot of water out of it for other parts of the city.
“This wouldn’t happen at Lake Weeroona.
“People jump around every now and again about this, but nothing ever gets done.”
Council Parks and Natural Environment manager Mitch Kemp said he had exhausted all options in trying to fix the problem, but his hands were tied.
The council built an island in the Eaglehawk tip lake to encourage the birds to nest there, and installed scare tape on the Lake Neangar island.
Two years ago there was talk of a scarecrow for the Lake Neangar island, but that plan did not eventuate.
“We have had a few goes at it, but nothing has been particularly effective,” he said.
“It is very difficult. Any suggestions would be most welcome.”
Mr Kemp has even suggested to the Department of Sustainability and Environment building a small bridge to the island, to encourage other animals to inhabit it, making life difficult for the birds.
He also suggested pouring olive oil over the eggs to suffocate them.
“All of these suggestions have fallen foul of the Wildlife Act,” he said.
“Under the act you are not permitted to disturb eggs or nests. We are only permitted to remove the dead carcasses.
“There are some people who regard it quite fortunate to have a native bird rookery in an urban area.”
Mr Kemp said the DSE was also not interested in allowing the council to destroy the island during the birds’ non-breeding season.
“For that we would need to get special permission from DSE, and they have indicated that is not likely,” he said.
“At this point there is not a lot we can do.
“All we really can do is wait for the landfill to be turned into a transfer station in the next five, six or seven years, limiting the birds’ food source.”
A DSE spokesperson was unavailable for comment before publication.
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