Lake Tuggeranong is a community asset that residents want to enjoy more. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
Tuggeranong residents want more basic infrastructure around Lake Tuggeranong and better water quality so they can spend more recreation time on the foreshore and the Lake itself, according to the results of an ACT Greens survey.
In the 2021/22 ACT Budget, the ACT Government announced a $4.5 million project for the revitalisation of the Lake Tuggeranong Foreshore. Last November a contract was awarded for a design and feasibility study for the precinct from Reed Street South to Tuggeranong Town Park.
Brindabella MLA Johnathan Davis surveyed residents and has compiled the results into a report that has been sent to Transport and City Services Minister Chris Steel.
Mr Davis says there was strong uptake for the survey, showing how much residents are interested in the the development of the Lake Tuggeranong Foreshore and the Lake’s health.
The survey report says residents want more accessible facilities such as toilets, but particularly more seating, bins and improved footpaths and/or bike paths.
People want be able to have a coffee or dine outdoors next to the lake and the most common suggestion for improving the built environment was for there to be more cafes and other eating options.
They would also like to see pop-up stalls or market events.
Algal blooms make Lake Tuggeranong unusable. Photo: File.
But fast food outlets near the lake came under criticism with concerns about their litter fouling the lake and calls for them to be required to do something about it.
There were also concerns about cars, particularly SUVs driving or parking in inappropriate places and damaging the landscape, with calls for bollards to keep them out.
The survey showed support for more wetlands, including floating wetlands, and for more native vegetation around the Lake, particularly around drain sites to increase filtration and improve water health.
READ ALSO: The path to preventing toxic blue green algal blooms in Canberra’s lakes
There were also calls for the conversion of concrete stormwater channels to natural waterways.
But the survey report suggests that more education is required on the role nutrient run-off, including fertilisers, has in promoting the algal blooms that regularly plague the lake and make it hard to use – particularly as residents would like see more on-water activities such as boating, rowing, sailing and motorboat sports.
They want the government to take more measures to keep the lake and surrounds clean including increased street sweeping and gutter cleaning to prevent grass clippings ending up in drains, regular litter patrols and clean-up days and removal of shopping trolleys from the lake.
The government wants to start work on the improvements to the foreshore precinct in the second half of the year and have them completed by June 2024.
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