A PIECE OF POND TO BE RETAINED
THE Gold Coast Turf Club has released a graphic showing a small section of Black Swan Lake will be retained.
The artwork shows trainers walking horses on a large grassed area, a man walking a dog and a family of ducks in a small pond where there is seating.
The turf club provided the art in a letter to members titled “Rejuvenation on track for borrow pit”.
“The Gold Coast Turf Club will fold the pit into its long-term plan for the future of stabling racehorses locally as part of the Traintech and Equine Precinct,” the club member update said.
“The end result will provide wideranging benefits to the industry with grassed areas for horses to exercise, a walking track area, additional parking for Magic Millions when required, and potentially a public amenity.”
The council has indicated previously it was unlikely the area would be available for the public.
The member update repeated comments by Mayor Tom Tate that approvals given by the council for the site to be excavated “have always had the condition that the borrow pit must be filled back as part of the process and the site rejuvenated”.
“Another fact that is not commonly known is the land was originally owned freehold by the Gold Coast Turf Club and it was given to the City of Gold Coast at no cost to the council or ratepayers,” the update said.
Ratepayers have been paying for the upkeep of the lake which required constant attention due to the run-off from stormwater drains at the nearby stables.
The club update confirmed the lake “is fed by stormwater run-off from the surrounding 5.7ha catchment and properties that are used exclusively for equestrian purposes”.
“Contrary to misleading media reports, the Gold Coast Turf Club has always been compliant with local, state and federal government regulations and environmental considerations and the majority of the community agree that this toxic pit needs to be cleaned up,” members were told.
The club said it had committed extensive time and research on flora and fauna studies but provided no costings. The amount previously provided to the Bulletin was $150,000.
“Water sampling by city officers (catchment management unit) and independent consultants have confirmed the water in the lake remains highly eutrophic – detrimentally rich in nutrients,” the club update said.
The lake had a high amount of ammonia and nitrogen which were common components of animal waste and could become pollutants.