Mayor on myths of Black Swan Lake divides his Facebook audience

MAYOR Tom Tate has lashed out at the ‘myths, lies, untruths and fake news’ about Black Swan Lake in an explosive Q & A with those fighting to stop the filling of the lake.

MAYOR Tom Tate says Black Swan Lake remains toxic, that wildlife is not being killed by the filling operation and the end result will be a grassed area which can be used by the public.

He rejects allegations his council is involved in a “property play” and the area will become the site for a high rise tower in the Bundall equine precinct.

In a statement on the Mayoral Facebook page, Cr Tate said he wanted to debunk “some of the myths, lies, untruths and fake news being spread” by greenies.

THE TRUTH ABOUT BLACK SWAN LAKE

Trucks dumping soil at Black Swan Lake. Picture Glenn Hampson

In the lengthy post which has attracted almost 600 comments and divided his audience, Cr Tate argued:

— the lake was a borrow pit and as it had been borrowed had to be “paid back” with council conditioning that it needed to be refilled.

— the lake was not a natural, pristine nature reserve and remained toxic, adding “I note that none of the protesters have gone for a swim”.

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— had prompted the most abhorrent claim alleging opponents were purposely killing swans and other aquatic animals which was “simply not true”.

- that a photo of a dead bird in a bin supposedly ‘near’ the lake and a turtle on a road verge that looks like it was run over by a car “clearly it isn’t proof of anything”.

- that the green campaigners were “pleading with people far and wide to send them photos of dead animals so that they “can use the photos in their ‘campaign’”.

A dead bird left in a bin near Black Swan Lake.

— it was wrong to say that residents are all against this because “the ring leaders of the greenies seem to live all over the city”.

- the ground traps by the spotter/catcher set in the three days leading to the first day of the site works only caught one black rat and lots of cane toads.

— it was a completely false claim that trucks dumping soil were burying birdlife alive.

The post suggests the issue which has frustrated the Mayor the most is speculation about the site’s future.

Black Swan Lake slowly being filled in at Bundall. Picture Glenn Hampson

“But the biggest lie being put about is somehow this is all part of a property play and that a concrete carpark is being built and somehow everyone involved is “profiting”,” he said, in the Facebook post

“The truth is that the area will be grassed so that it can be used as a horse pick area — after all we are talking about the Equine Precinct — open space for the public and during major events in the Equine Precinct like the Magic Millions for example.

“It can be used for overflow car parking. We’ll have to wait for a few months for that myth to be finally debunked when the filling is finished.”

A turtle trying to escape Black Swan Lake.

He said council had been wrongly criticised for ‘giving away public land’ to the Gold Coast Turf Club.

“Firstly the Turf Club is a not for profit community organisation, not a commercial business. By the way, I’m not on the board of the Turf Club and have never accepted a complimentary membership — another myth being put about,” he said.

When asked further about this by residents, the Mayor added: “Read the post again, I said I have never taken the complimentary membership and that I am not a board member currently.”

He said he had completed a “short stint on the board” before become Mayor and had been a “proud member of the GCTC for many years”.

The land was originally owned by “the association building the Turf Club in the 90s” but was given to the council freehold to fix it but successive administrations failed to do this.

Cr Tate, after further questions from residents, admitted the “the horse trainers in the area have to start taking seriously their pre-existing duties to stop the toxic run off from their operations”.

Mayor Tom Tate. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

Wildlife Queensland president Sally Spain, in a response, said residents would continue to lobby “the sensible elements in council to stop the filling of the lake.

“It is a large lake, has a huge following of decent, concerned folk in the city, Australia and overseas, has huge documentation of its beauty, viability and environmental assets and would take a while to destroy,” Ms Spain said.

“Every effort continues to be made on its behalf to see this does not occur by those who know the truth.

“The truth is that it has had 35 years to shelter and sustain, via its waters and its locally valuable sheltering Aussie bushland, a remarkably large variety of birds including a bird subject to special protective provisions.”

Ms Spain said a Gold Coast Bulletin poll revealed 95 per cent support for the lake and more than 17,000 people had signed change.org petition.

She said the bin referred to by the Mayor was placed there by supporters of the lake.

“The one dead bird was dumped in it,” she said.