Wagga Lake Albert water quality and Blue Green Algae: NSW election candidates call for government to allow solutions

Labor candidate Dan Hayes said the Wagga City Council had been stopped from implementing one of its responses to Blue Green Algae and water level issues.

“As a councillor I have been exploring ways to improve and manage Lake Albert.

“Continuing to work with council and the community is key. 

“We were recently stopped with one strategy by the state government but continue to explore other options as well as we recognise the value of Lake Albert to Wagga.”

An attempt by the council to redirect more rainwater runoff into the lake was blocked by the Natural Resources Access Regulator, a newly established state agency.

The council had planned to place a shutter on Tatton Drain but was told it needed to go through the same extensive regulatory process as redirecting a waterway.

Shooters, Farmers and Fishers candidate Seb McDonagh said the government should get out of the way of future proposals.

“With the Lake Albert Blue Green Algae, everybody knows its due to water levels and lack of inflows, and also the quality of those inflows,” he said.

“The government can’t make it rain but there were things in the Lake Albert management plan, like the drain diversion and silt filters.”

“The NSW government can help by getting out of the way in regards to approvals and stop telling us what we can’t do.

“They are supposed to be here to help us improve our quality of living and not make it worse.”

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Wagga MP Joe McGirr said he had been in meetings with the council about another approach.

“If the issue is to be sorted then you really need to increase the level of the lake,” he said.

“I’ve been involved with discussions with the council and Riverina Water about examining a proposal to try and do that.

“This is a proposal for a pipeline so that water might be transferred from the river.”

Dr McGirr said the council would seek state government assistance to pay for the water rights and pipeline.

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