Campbell's Wetlands suffers damage, animals removed at Lake Wyangan

Griffith’s Lake Wyangan is in the spotlight once again. Campbell’s Wetlands, located on the eastern side of the lake, has closed to the public due to damage firstly by fire, and then by vandals.

As well, animals living in the lake’s picnic area are being rehomed, except the peacock, which will remain. An environmental consultant is also looking at ways to improve the water quality.

Campbell’s Wetlands fire and vandalism damage

Griffith City Council was in the process of upgrading Campbell’s Wetlands, a popular birdwatching site, by building a new boardwalk and revegetating the walkway from the carpark to the wetlands.

However, a fire, which started last Tuesday (27 August), caused significant damage to the boardwalk and surrounding areas, forcing the council to reassess its current plans.

Council had initially planned to replace the existing boardwalk using the current structure as a working platform, with construction scheduled to begin on 7 October, however, due to the destruction of the existing infrastructure, the council says its plans are now under review.

The contractor appointed to undertake the project assessed the site last weekend, and indicated the project remained on track despite the recent setback.

In addition to the fire damage, vandals have further compromised the site by kicking in some of the metal lining on the bird hide.

The boardwalk is closed to the public due to safety concerns, and barricades will be in place to prevent access. Council urges residents and visitors to respect these closures for their safety.

Council remains fully committed to delivering the project within the allocated timeframe and budget, with the aim to complete all works by 30 April 2025.

Campbell’s Wetlands attracts birds such as freckled, pink-eared, blue-billed and musk ducks. Residents and tourists often walk around the edge of the wetlands during summer to see bush birds and migratory wading birds.

Rehoming Lake Wyangan’s animals

Earlier this year, Griffith City Council decided that animals in a makeshift mini-zoo living in the Lake Wyangan Picnic Area would be rehomed.

Council infrastructure director Phil King told a committee that manages Lake Wyangan that the ducks, chickens and cockatoo were rehomed, however, as the deer were a prescribed species they required a licence to be transported. Council has said it is working in consultation with National Parks Wildlife Service and Department of Primary Industries to relocate the kangaroo and emu. The peacock has never been confined to the display area and will continue to roam the Lake Wyangan Foreshore.

Improving the lake’s water quality

Lake Wyangan has been plagued by poor water quality for several years, with regular outbreaks of blue-green algae restricting its use. Dr Peter Bacon of environmental consultancy Woodlots and Wetlands Pty Ltd addressed the Lake Wyangan committee meeting on options council may consider to improve the lake’s water quality, including a sediment and nutrient discharge treatment system for the north lake.

Dr Bacon advised that a high proportion of water containing phosphorus was draining into the lake from horticultural areas and contributing to algal issues. He said addressing the water quality issue was complex as there was a large volume of water in the lake.

The consultant advised further investigation and assessment was required to identify what the aims of the project were, what the water quality was, what volumes needed to be treated and if there were other options to be considered to ensure dollar value for the project. Dr Bacon stated that data required to assess the conditions was easily accessible. Once conceptual testing was completed, soil sampling would be required to assess absorption capacity.

Griffith Mayor Doug Curran informed Dr Bacon that the project proposal should focus on the northwestern area of the lake as there were concerns with using the eastern side due to the area being a suspected Aboriginal burial site.