Undeterred by the minor matter of Lake Burley Griffin not being controlled by the ACT Government the Greens’ Shane Rattenbury has announced he’s trying to set up an Environment Commission inquiry into it.
“We want the Commissioner for the Environment to investigate the source of the problems – we hear different versions from different Government agencies about what is causing the pollution, and it’s time to get to the bottom of it.”“It doesn’t help that the NCA, different parts of the ACT Government and even Queanbeyan City all have a role to play in managing the lake and what goes into it.
“Once we have a clear set of causes laid out, we can address them, and, if it is outside of the scope of the ACT Government, request other parties to lift their game.
“Local sporting events are increasingly being postponed, cancelled or moved interstate because of the deterioration of water quality, and ultimately the biodiversity values of the lake are being compromised.
“Lake closures are not only a real inconvenience for Canberra residents, but are having a tourism and economic impact on our city as national or international events go elsewhere,” Mr Rattenbury said.