Sailability Victoria’s Broadmeadows club hasn’t used Jack Roper Reserve lake since Coolaroo fire

A SAILING club for people with disabilies in Broadmeadows is struggling to survive because it can’t use the lake at Jack Roper Reserve due to contamination.

Sailing teacher Koos Soeterboek is frustrated over the closure of the lake at Jack Roper Reserve. Picture: David Smith

IT’S the sailing club stuck on dry land.

Sailability Victoria’s Broadmeadows club has been unable to use the lake at Jack Roper Reserve since last July after tens of millions of litres of contaminated water run-off flowed into it as firefighters battled a toxic blaze at a recycling plant in Coolaroo.

RELATED: Coolaroo fire: MFB called to recycling plant nine times in five years

Club sailing teacher Koos Soeterboek said he wasn’t sure how much longer the club could sustain the closure.

Mr Soeterboek said they had offered classes to students from special development schools and local disability groups since 2000.

Their sailing equipment, which has been locked up since the fire, incurred an annual $1700 insurance fee, he said.

Hume Council provides them with a shed lakeside free of charge.

“We are staffed by volunteers and we survive on the contributions from the schools and institutions that make use of our services,” Mr Soeterboek said.

“We haven’t got any income because everything has stopped. It’s very frustrating, basically all water activities are finished.”

“But we will hang in there for as long as we can.”

Mr Soeterboek said he feared the pollution problems weren’t going to be resolved anytime soon.

He said the sailing sessions, which had up to 50 students a week, taught not only the basics but also teamwork and got them out into the fresh air.

Broadmeadows Disability Services chief executive Barb van den Vlekkert said their members always looked forward to sailing day.

“It’s been really disappointing because they really love the program,” she said.

“They keep asking when it’s going to resume again.

“We have members who have obtained their boat licence and have moved onto volunteering alongside Koose and the others.”

Broadmeadows Progress Association secretary Sonja Rutherford said she felt cleaning up the lake had been put in the “too hard basket”.

She said the heavily contaminated site should be a priority especially given the possible health risks.

Almost 140 million litres of contaminated water as well as more than 400 dead fish have been removed from the waterway.

RELATED: More than 400 dead fish removed from Merlynston Creek after Coolaroo factory fire

Signage at the reserve recommends people not to fish or allow their pets to drink or swim in the water.

Melbourne Water west region acting team leader Anna Zsoldos said high readings of E.coli have continued to be detected after the fire and further testing was scheduled in coming weeks to determine current levels.

“E.coli cannot survive in hot weather and rainfall events also help to dilute E.coli, so upcoming testing may show reduced E.coli levels,” she said.

“If levels remain high, further investigations may be required to determine the pollution source.

“The lake cannot be reopened to recreation activities until the E.coli returns to acceptable levels.”