Lake Ainsworth redevelopment
Ballina Shire Council is considering three options for redevelopment of the Lake Ainsworth Reserve at Lennox Head in a bid to save the town’s ‘jewel in the crown’, the tea tree-fed Lake Ainsworth.
All options reduce sites in the adjoining caravan park, prompting opposition from regulars who holiday at the park.
They also transform the road on the lake’s eastern side into a walkway and cycleway.
Residents in Barrett Drive are affected by one of the options, which proposes building a road behind their homes.
Option two proposes a road through the centre of the caravan park, which would reduce camping sites.
Ballina Shire says that redevelopment is necessary to save the lake from the effects of development around the once-pristine lake.
Because it is surrounded by tea trees, the lake takes on a blackish colour.
It is a popular swimming spot, but has been affected by outbreaks of the potentially harmful blue green algae.
Ballina Shire Council’s website says that blue green algae are single-celled organisms of ancient origin. Otherwise known as cyanobacteria, there are about 40 species known in Australia. A selected number of these exhibit toxic properties from time to time.
The algae may sometimes (but not always) be seen as a bluish green scum on the surface of the water or the shoreline when the water is calm.
Skin and eye irritation is a common reaction. At stronger concentrations, nerve and liver toxins may be present. Some people are more likely than others to suffer as a result of contact with blue green algae. Anyone who is aware that they are acutely allergic to blue green algae should avoid contact with the waters of Lake Ainsworth during the summer months. To learn more about this organism, how it forms, and what it can do to you, click on the Department of Infrastructure Planning & Natural Resources (DIPNR) information.
Ballina Council says it follows the protocols set by the North Coast Regional Algal Coordinating Committee (NCRACC) for recreational water when determining whether health warnings are necessary.
Visit Ballina Shire Council to read the Master Plan for Lake Ainsworth.
