Labor turned their focus to waterways at Lake Macquarie yesterday on the campaign trail committing funding to improving water quality.
If they’re elected next weekend, Labor has committed $250,000 from Labor’s Urban Rivers and Catchments Program and will help Lake Macquarie City Council to undertake vital works to revitalise and maintain three waterways.
Funded works in these waterways would include weed management, community engagement to change detrimental behaviours, increasing vegetation through natural vegetation or planting, potential creek bank stabilisation and further ongoing maintenance.
Labor candidate for Hunter Dan Repacholi said this money would be for the important waterways of Dora Creek, Cockle Creek and Slatey Creek.
“It will beautify the area going into the Lake again, get rid of the weeds like the lantana and plant natural shrubs and natural trees back in the area. Only a Labor Government cares,” he said.
Pay Conroy, running for Labor in Shortland said Landcare who would undertake the work, are an asset to the community with the work they’ll do with the funding.
“People live here partly because of our beautiful, natural environment. We’ve got a lake which is the biggest saltwater lake in the southern hemisphere and this announcement is all about improving the landscape and improving the water quality,” he said.
“I want to pay tribute to Landcare Australia and every single volunteer. Whether they’re helping around Lake Macquarie or further down the coast, what Landcare do every day to beautify our natural environment, they do it for the love of our environment and that’s a tribute to everyone involved.”
Lake Macquarie Mayor Kay Fraser welcomed the funding.
“We always have problems with weed and infestation in our creeks and this will be a great investment to make sure our creeks are clean, make sure the banks are stabilised, as you know the Lake is our jewel so its great to have this announcement today,”
“A lot of those creeks need that investment. As you know people want to get on to our waterways now so we can have people out there swimming, kayaking, boating, fishing ,they can do all those things on our waterways so we need to keep them nice and clean,” said Kay Fraser.