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Holidaymakers haven’t been deterred from enjoying Lake Cathie despite the lake closing off to the ocean.
Andrew Wright and his son Kobi visited Lake Cathie on September 30 to fish in the lake.
He said the lake’s current state wouldn’t deter him from visiting for holidays.
However Lake Cathie resident Rob Ramsey lives across the road from the lake and said council should be prioritising work to open the lake to the ocean.
“I’m disappointed that they’ve done all the work on Town Green in Port Macquarie,” he said.
“I don’t understand why that has been done and why that amount of money has been spent.”
Mr Ramsey said he doesn’t think there is enough management from the council to look after the lake which is a popular place for people to come.
“Especially when it’s open (to the ocean),” he said.
Mr Ramsey said the lake had only been closed for a week and it wasn’t aqua anymore. He said this had the potential to stop tourists from visiting the area.
Under the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council strategy the lake will only be opened when the lake height reaches 1.6m Australian Height Datum (AHD), there is poor water quality or when high lake levels threaten breeding cycles of critical habitat.
The Opening Strategy was initiated by the Lake Cathie-Lake Innes Estuary Management Plan developed by the Lake Cathie-Bonny Hills Estuary Management Committee (now the Hastings LGA Coast and Estuaries Sub-Committee).
A council spokesperson said the strategy aims to provide maximum benefits to the community while minimising siltation, ensuring high water quality and minimising environmental impact.
Artificial openings have occurred at the lake on average once every 12 months. An artificial opening is when council dredges the sand between the lake and the ocean with an excavator.
For more information about on the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council lake strategy please visit http://www.pmhc.nsw.gov.au/
