By XAVIER SMERDON
SANCTUARY Lakes property owners spend more than $850,000 every year to help keep the lake in a healthy condition.
With new suburbs and estates popping up all around the majestic resort-style estate, much of their waste and storm water runs into Sanctuary Lake’s water system, which is twice as big as Albert Park Lake.
General manager of Sanctuary Lakes Resort Services Tony Fererri said the lake was the final point of processing urban runoff before entering the Cheetham National Coastal Park.
“We spend $100,000 a year just testing the water to make sure it’s healthy,” Mr Fererri said.
“Chemicals and pollution from upstream combined with hot weather can stimulate the rapid growth of the sea grass and the formation of algal blooms, and requires a daily program of underwater mowing and collection together with constant monitoring.
“If there was no maintenance of the lake then the worst case scenario is that there would be blue green algae.”
About four tonnes of sea grass is currently being removed from the lake every day by a special harvester, or truxor.
A total of 1250 tonnes of the grass is taken to the Wyndham Council tip, at a cost of $75,000 every year.
Mr Ferreri said he was now looking for innovative businesses to come up with an alternative use for the grass.
“Currently we are looking for an environmental use of the 1250 tonnes of harvested sea grass and, at this stage, we have one manufacturer using it in the mix of their liquid fertilizer,” he said.
“It’s a natural resource that we’ve got here and what we’re saying is that if there is a company out there that has an idea for what it could be used for, come and talk to us.”
For more information visit www.sanctuarylakesresort.com.au.
