Neighbours fear pink plant on Wantirna Rise lake a safety hazard, Knox Council says perfectly natural
A pink lake has neighbours in a new Wantirna housing estate seeing red, fearful a child might mistake the waterway for a solid surface and drown — but Knox Council insists there’s nothing to worry about.
Outer East
Don't miss out on the headlines from Outer East. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A lake at a Wantirna housing estate has turned completely pink, with neighbours fearing a child may mistake the surface for solid ground and drown.
And people living in Wantirna Rise estate say the rampant water plant has also chased away all the ducks and wildlife that used to visit.
But Knox Council says the water fern, called azolla, is naturally occurring and not harmful.
Grandmother Dianna Boyd said she had asked the council to restore the lake.
“It’s solid pink, it just looks like flowers on grass,” she said.
“It’s a danger, I’ve got two little grandchildren, the estate is full of kids.”
She said dozens of ducks that used to call the lake home had vanished.
“There is not a duck to be seen,” she said.
“It’s horrible, I take my dogs to walk there, I take my grandchildren to walk around there, and they keep saying ‘Why is the lake pink’ and ‘Where have the ducks gone?
“We paid a fortune to come into this estate and it just looks so ugly.”
Mum Helen Pentogenis, who also lives in the estate, said she too was worried.
“It just looks like land, it’s dangerous,” she said.
Knox Council engineering and infrastructure director Ian Bell said the wetland was designed to capture and filter urban pollutants coming from streetscapes in the estate, including using specially selected aquatic plant species that can treat pollutants in the water.
MORE: SKYBUS TO START SERVICING MELBOURNE’S EAST
FORMER HEATHMONT CHURCH SITE TRASHED BY VANDALS
POLICE THREAT OVER LAKE KNOX PROTEST SIGNS
Dr Bell said azolla was not harmful, and was a great way to remove nitrogen from the water, which may have been washed off from local roads as a result of garden fertilisers or car washing products.
“This type of retarding basin must pass certain construction specifications that include safety considerations, and the area has been specifically designed to incorporate the surrounding landscaping,” Dr Bell said.
“Council is confident that the retarding basin is performing as expected, and will monitor its health to determine if there are any changes of concern.”
All 113 house sites in the estate sold within a day in 2015 with buyers paying a total of $55 million for the vacant land off Mountain Highway.