Name: Spavin Drive Lake
Age: Unable to say.
Location: Sunbury.
How would you describe yourself?: Mainly green, but I was once a clear body of water suitable for swimmers, anglers, and all wildlife.
Green you say? Yes. Because of the algae that’s been allowed to form.
So what’s the problem? The algae! I just said. It’s killed all the fish in the lake!
What fish? Well, for starters, the trout put here twice a year by the council at great expense to ratepayers.
The Council of Fish? No silly, Hume City Council. For some reason it buys trout to put in the lake so anglers can spend hours catching them.
Why not just give the fish to the anglers and save time? Good idea, but not very sporting. But it would prevent swans and the like being injured by discarded lines and hooks.
Anyway…Green you say? Yes, the algae has put the lake off limits to all. Council has closed it. Dead fish floated to the surface in December causing one hell of a stink.
The dead fish still there? They have been collected by council staff.
It must have come as a shock to the council? No, the lake has been in a bad way for some time. It was closed in June 2024 for much the same reason.
Algae in winter? Yep!
How come? Council says the water doesn’t move enough, due to a man-made island in the middle of the lake.
Can the island be removed? Well, there’s wildlife on it now. So… Well you know…
What’s council done to fix it? Nothing. Their best people have been mulling it over for months if not years.
Who are their best people? Search me.
How about aerating the water? Yes, that could be done. Many people have suggested a fountain be put in the lake to do this.
That would be a nice touch and could fix it: I think so.
Do say: Dead in the water.
Don’t say: Fancy a dip?
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