Does the Lake look murky?

After rain, especially heavy downfalls, the Lake never looks its best and this is largely due to stormwater pollution, the stuff that flows into the roadside gutters, or down the grassy verges, often through our reserves and out into the lake.

Living on a narrow peninsula where nowhere is more than a couple of hundred metres from the Lake, what goes down the drain we end up looking at, boating upon or swimming in.

The solution to our stormwater pollution is both ever present and very close at hand.

Stopping dirt, leaves, grass clipping, etc. from entering gutter and drains by sweeping hard paths and driveways regularly and putting the sweepings on the garden, in the compost or the green bin is something we can all do anytime. Have lots of leaves or bark clogged the drain? Contact council to get the street sweeper out (ph. 4921 0333), or take on some extra community-minded exercise.

If you get contractors to tend your garden please advise them not to ‘blow the lawn clippings into the gutter’ but put them in the green bin.

Picking up pet droppings and disposing of them in a rubbish bin, the garden or toilet is another must-do if you’re not keen on swimming in poo.

Washing your car on the grass, stopping soil and mulch washing off your garden and planting to stabilise slopes are other suggestions the Dept. of Planning & Environment proffer.