Lake Rosebery to remain closed to the public after estimated 5000 litres of oil spill into it

An estimated 5000 litres of oil has spilt into a Tasmanian lake, forcing the EPA to launch a clean-up operation. How the oil ended up in the lake.

Lake Rosebery and Mount Murchison near Tullah. PICTURE CHRIS KIDD

A lake on the West Coast will be closed until at least January 31 after an estimated 5000 litres of oil spilt into it.

The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) says that on January 12, significant rainfall flushed the contents of a historical piece of infrastructure into Henry Bay.

It is estimated that around 30 kilometres of shoreline have been affected by the oil spill.

EPA Director Wes Ford. Picture: Richard Jupe

EPA Director and CEO Wes Ford said clean-up crews had been deployed to remove the oil.

“It’s not known exactly how much oil has spilt into the lake, but it is a substantial pollution event, and we know that the oil is in various stages of weathering on and around the lake,” Mr Ford said.

“We take any incident which harms the environment and disrupts operations very seriously, and the EPA is working closely with relevant authorities, including Hydro Tasmania, TasWater, and the West Coast Council, to manage the response.

“Due to the free oil that remains on the lake there is still significant risk to the public through secondary oiling of watercraft, ingesting fish product and human contact through swimming.

“The clean-up equipment operating on the water also poses considerable risk to public safety through vessel interaction.”

West Coast Mayor, Shane Pitt visited Parliament House, calling for government help to boost the economy in the region. Picture: Linda Higginson

West Coast Mayor Shane Pitt said it was working with the EPA and other stakeholders to provide the appropriate support and on-ground assistance as required.

“We are aware that local tourism operators in Tullah have events planned over this time, and encourage the community to continue to support them,” Mr Pitt said.

“A community information drop-in session will be held Thursday at the Tullah Community Hall from 4pm to 7pm to provide updates to the community and other concerned members of the public.

“The council, along with other stakeholders, will be in attendance.”

Originally published as Lake Rosebery to remain closed to the public after estimated 5000 litres of oil spill into it