LAKESIDE properties are some of Wagga’s most sought after, but buyers aren’t getting value for money with Lake Albert’s current state according to one real estate agent.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Sue Alleva, a director at Hore and Davies whose own home fronts onto the lake, said the state of the lake was “absolutely” a concern, along with unfinished landscaping works on Lakeside Drive that have now been in progress for more than 14 months.
“Lakeside Drive is probably one of the most sought-after streets in Wagga, especially for retirees, and they’re willing to pay big dollars but they don’t want a second-class looking lake,” she said.
“They want something pristine, neat and tidy. If they’re going to pay well above market value for houses along here, it needs to present like that.”
Wagga City Council is holding a public forum on Thursday night regarding the future of Lake Albert, with ongoing concerns regarding the water level and its quality likely to be top of the agenda.
The forum, to be held at the Wagga Boat Club from 6.30pm on Thursday, will provide an opportunity for people to have their say about the Lake Albert Management Plan, the Lights 4 Lake project, Apex Park improvements and a potential wetland at the northern end of the lake.
Mrs Alleva believes its aesthetics – both the water level and its surrounds – is the issue most pressing for council to tackle.
“It’s such a tourist attraction – tourist buses go past every other day as well as hundreds of walkers,” she said. “It’s a real attraction for Wagga and we’re just not taking advantage of it.”
Ron Lewington, a long-time Lake Albert resident who has long campaigned for its water level issues to be addressed, has called on council to do more than pay lip service to the issue.
Last time the management plan was reviewed, he said, the idea of pumping water into the lake was canvassed before being jettisoned due to its exorbitant cost.
“They haven’t got a plan – it’s only through people’s agitation now that they’re starting to do a bit of thinking about it,” Mr Lewington said.
Mr Lewington said concerns about the lake’s water level had been aired in the community for more than 100 years and wants all options on the table on Thursday.
“There’s no one single solution to this problem,” he said.
