Lake Hugh Muntz officially reopened by the Gold Coast City Council

A Gold Coast lake has officially reopened after it was plunged into a red alert status due to toxic levels of blue green algae. Read what happened

Lake Hugh Muntz is open again after close to a year of being shut due to red algae levels. Cr Nick Marshall (black shirt) with local lake activist John McManus happy with the lake. Picture Glenn Hampson

The city’s much loved Lake Hugh Muntz is back open to swimmers after a gruelling nine months.

Earlier in the year the popular lake fell into official red alert status, forcing the Gold Coast City Council to close it due to toxic levels of blue green algae.

The closure over the Australia Day long weekend saw residents furious after a scheduled spring treatment fell through due to circumstances beyond City control.

Residents raised concerns, claiming dogs suffering from ear infections, bad smells omitting from the lake and rashes on swimmers prior to the area being closed – with many comparing the once pristine area to a “smelly” and “deteriorating swamp”.

Resident and lake activist John McManus said he and the community were grateful to have new councillor Nick Marshall “on their side”.

“He has recognised people use it for swimming which the previous councillor did not,” he said.

Lake Hugh Muntz is open again after close to a year of being shut due to red algae levels. Cr Nick Marshall (black shirt) with local lake activist John McManus happy with the lake. Picture Glenn Hampson

Councillor Pauline Young was elected to represent Division 12 in 2016 – but residents claim they were left unheard and unlistened to during her term comparative to now.

“I’ve been fighting for this lake for the last 12 years and as ratepayers we were being forgotten. I think Cr Nick is a new breed and he understands you’ve got to work with your ratepayers and that’s refreshing,” Mr McManus said.

Cr Marshall said it was good to have “a bit of success”.

“I’d love to say it’s all me but it really isn’t – I kept it on the agenda but really the City staff and the lake staff have been working really hard on this behind the scenes,” he said.

“We were really fortunate we were able to push something a little bit new – it was the first time any swimming lake in the city has had an algaecide used.”

An algaecide is a fast-acting product used to kill and prevent algae.

The material was used in conjunction with phoslock which had been used to treat the lake in previous years.

The total cost of both treatments came to $225,000.

“To get both treatments done was a really big win,” Cr Marshall said.

Lake Hugh Muntz is open again after close to a year of being shut due to red algae levels. Cr Nick Marshall (black shirt) with local lake activist John McManus happy with the lake. Picture Glenn Hampson

Cr Marshall and a spokesperson for Gold Coast City Council both say management options for the lake are under constant research.

“My goal is we don’t have to wait for it to get bad again to treat it,” Cr Marshall said.

“Hopefully we’re swimming in it all year round.”

Mr McManus said after more than 20 years of living on Lake Hugh Muntz, things had been “iffy” for a while leading up to its closure in January.

But now he was enjoying waking up to it each morning once again.

“I wake up and look at it each morning. I was looking at it always to see how bad it was,

now I’m looking at it to see how good it’s getting,” he said. 

Originally published as Lake Hugh Muntz officially reopened by the Gold Coast City Council