Majority of Gold Coasters don’t want Black Swan Lake to be filled in

A NEW poll reveals whether Gold Coasters think Bundall’s controversial Black Swan Lake should be filled in.

THE overwhelming majority of Gold Coasters don’t believe Black Swan Lake should be filled in.

The Gold Coast Turf Club has been given council approval to turn the Bundall waterway into horse training amenities, equine green space and an overflow car parking facility.

Today, the Gold Coast Bulletin conducted an online poll after it learned wildlife spotters could euthanise injured fauna under the latest management plan for Black Swan Lake, which saw 92.59 per cent of people vote against the destruction of the popular body of water and the displacement of the wildlife that call it home.

Black Swan Lake. Picture: Jerad Williams

Some social media users took aim at Gold Coast Council for permitting the lake to be filled in while others wrote about how concerned they were for the animals and birds residing at the Bundall lake.

Robyn Atkinson wrote: “I fail to understand how GGCC can just blatantly ignore the wishes of rate payer. Don’t they work for us?.

“Leave the lake alone. Gold Coast developers will just not be happy until the whole Coast is covered in concrete,” Cathryn Ruzicka added.

Gold Coaster Andrew Barr-David said it was “disgusting” that the systematic destruction of our wildlife and habitat was “so well understood”.

A photograph showing the abundant bird life at Black Swan Lake as it is about to be filled in. Picture: Ric Allport

“The people involved in these decisions need to grow a backbone and stop hiding behind the nameless and faceless terms like council officers and consultants,” he said.

“Grow a backbone people. This is what we get under a junta where it has been explained that no green tree frog will stop construction on the coast. Personally I would walk out if this was my job! Where is the humanity.”

STILL ABUNDANT BIRD LIFE AT LAKE

Regina Kidd wrote: “How can anyone who cares about nature and wildlife be OK with this deliberate act of destruction and mass killings?

A photograph showing the abundant bird life at Black Swan Lake as it is about to be filled in. Picture: Ric Allport

Michelle Hare said: “Black Swan Lake should remain and be maintained by council.”

While Richard Spencer and Sandy Johnson said they wanted developers to leave the lake alone.

To which Kim John Riley added: Leave the lake and wildlife alone.”

Neil Rowsthorn wrote: These are the types of areas that make a city “liveable” studies from all over the world recognise these types of havens are important not only for the wildlife but for the sanity of the people.”

“Filling in the lake and killing wildlife jus for developments. disgusting,” Matthew Webb

added.

A small percentage of Gold Coasters voted in support of the destruction of Black Swan Lake.