Work to restart at lake
WORK is expected to start again on filling Black Swan Lake after the council approved a new development plan.
But the process is being muddied by a complaint to environmental authorities and continuing threat of legal action by supporters of the Bundall lake behind the Gold Coast Turf Club.
New planning documents reveal the council – under delegated authority, through the manager of the city development branch – approved a fresh application for earthworks and stormwater facilities at the Bundall site.
The turf club will be required to use clean earth to fill the lake, ensure flooding does not increase near the site and obtain an operational works permit for vegetation clearing.
A fauna management plan must be completed and endorsed by the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection and approved by the council before any works begin on site.
Other key requirements include a spotter catcher “experienced in both terrestrial and aquatic fauna relocations” engaged in all works and that no contaminated water is released into neighbouring waterways.
Environmentalists have responded by contacting both federal and state environmen- tal departments and making a complaint under the EPBC Act about the endangered swamp oak.
Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland Gold Coast and Hinterland president Sally Spain wrote to the turf club to warn it of its “obligations under environmental law”.
The turf club has yet to respond to the group after being given an ultimatum not to undertake further works or poison trees and fill in the lake.
The club has told the Bulletin original approvals remain valid and what was sought involved a “slight modification” involving no major changes.
Asked about a time frame for works, club president Brett Cook replied: “No set time frame. We will be doing it in the most commercially responsible way for the Gold Coast Turf Club while saving the local ratepayers money.”
A portion of the eastern section of the lake was filled before recent rain and legal action from the Black Swan Lake group stopped work prior to the Commonwealth Games.
When asked if the plan was to fill in the entire lake or only a section of it, Mr Cook said: “The development application that has been approved gives us the right to fill the site and we will look at our options as we proceed.”
The turf club was confident it had met all conditions to proceed with work.