Black Swan Lake shock move as councillors to meet again to vote

Black Swan Lake is almost filled in, but a surprise late move could could change the entire outcome of the controversial site.

Black Swan Lake latest aerial pic.

COUNCILLORS will vote on stopping to fill Black Swan Lake but this final attempt at council to save the so-called Bundall borrow pit may be too late.

Nerang-based councillor Peter Young has told council CEO Dale Dickson that he intends to put forward a notice of motion at Friday’s full council meeting which seeks to terminate council’s contract arrangements on the land with the Gold Coast Turf Club.

Crowd pictured during a protest against the filling of Black Swan Lake at Bundall. Cr Peter Young speaks to supporters. Picture Mike Batterham.

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“I have always been opposed to the decision to fill the lake at Goldmarket Lane,” Cr Young told the CEO.

“I accept it was ‘man made’ about 40 years ago and I accept the water quality in the lake has been severely impacted with the ingress of untreated horse urine, faeces and other pollutants.

“But despite this it is a relatively healthy water body, and efforts undertaken by council experts in 2016 had led to measurable improvements in the water quality, and a low-budget continuation of that work was recommended.

“I cannot accept that in this day and age the only reasonable and logical solution to provide some overflow carparking for events such as the Melbourne Cup is to fill this lake at great expense, with the obvious environmental impacts.”

Cr Young said he had been unsuccessful in seeking a compromise for lake supporters with the Turf Club.

The trucks have returned to Black Swan Lake as the fill-in begins at the so-called Gold Coast borrow pit.

“In the absence of a compromise, the only other solution is to seek to stop this stupidity fully,” he said.

The motion, if supported, would require the Turf Club to stop all operational works and

“take the necessary actions to make the site safe”.

Council officers would be required to produce a report on how to fix the area and ensure future stormwater inflow to the lake could be managed successfully.

Lake supporters yesterday sent out an “action plan” which will include a protest starting at 7.30am at the work site at the back of the Bundall equine precinct today.

Work recommences to fill in Black Swan Lake at Bundall. Picture Glenn Hampson

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Wildlife Preservation Society Gold Coast president Sally Spain said there was “still time to save the lake” and “we should support Cr Young’s efforts” by gathering in protest.

“Your presence will send a message that we will not yield to this moron like project of dumping a carpark on a thriving lake,” she wrote.

But Turf Club is confident the lake may be filled by the end of this week given the pace of works.

“If rain holds off it will be just about done by next Friday,” a Turf Club insider said.