Wagga mayor Greg Conkey condemns destruction of water infrastructure at Lake Albert

In a statement released on Monday morning, Cr Conkey said a set of gates at a weir, which forms part of the lake's dam wall, were vandalised.

He said council staff discovered the destroyed gates about a week after unauthorised steel shutters were temporarily erected at Tatton Drain and then removed.

Wagga Boat Club commodore Mick Henderson came forward publicly on January 7 to having been behind the shutters and has been fined $750 by the Natural Resources Access Regulator for the stunt.

Supporters have since crowdfunded to more than cover the cost of the fine.

"Not only did the destruction of the weir gates mean the lake could no longer fill to capacity, but it is also a criminal offence to destroy public infrastructure," Councillor Conkey said.

"Both the general manager and I, with the support of all councillors, have been working for more than 12 months to develop a permanent solution to the lake's water problems, which is now close.

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"These gates allow the lake to fill to capacity and their removal could have prevented that from happening with water flowing directly from the lake and down Marshalls Creek.

"The community, like me, should be outraged over the destruction of these gates which had impacted the lake's integrity.

"Council has fixed the weir at further cost to our community."

Cr Conkey and council general manager Peter Thompson have said Mr Thompson wrote to NRAR asking the watchdog to "show leniency" on Mr Henderson, who put the shutters up to protest a lack of action on fixing the lake's low water levels.

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