INSIDE: WAZZA IN THE SPOTLIGHT, SUNRISE IN WAGGA, PET OF THE WEEK + MORE
Council News CITY OF WAGGA WAGGA
FIRST PRINTED SATURDAY 15 DECEMBER 2018
Issue No: 225
Weekly information from us to you
EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR DRIVERS Christmas arrived early for Wagga Wagga motorists who regularly use Lake Albert Road, with the recent completion of the Stage 1 upgrade. Wagga Wagga residents were fast asleep, but that didn’t stop Santa and his merry elves being hard at work to complete the three-week nightworks
project which lost only one day because of rain. The team celebrated an exceptional job on the final night last week. There was a total of 4130 tonnes of asphalt laid in various stages across the project, which covered 580 metres between Fay Avenue and Lord Baden Powell Drive.
Lake ultrasound trial switched on A 12-month trial designed to control blue-green algae in Lake Albert kicked off this week, with the launch of ultrasound devices on the Lake.
The nine ultrasound units are fitted to five pontoons which were towed to specially selected locations and anchored to the bottom of the lake. Wagga Wagga City Council Manager Project Delivery Rupesh Shah said the project aims to find a solution to keep the lake open year-round for recreational use. “Blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, are a natural part of the freshwater
environment and widely found in lakes and dams,” he said. “When it rains after a long period of dry weather, Lake Albert receives a high dose of storm water run-off loaded with nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorous. “This together with hot weather and still water with low turbulence, creates the conditions for an algal bloom. “The solution we have implemented aims to control it to safe levels by destroying algae with ultrasound. “This is not a permanent answer for managing algae, which will require changes to policy and activities, but it is a temporary solution to control the algae bloom to acceptable limits." The solar powered units will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and are fitted with alert systems which
send an SMS if they are not working, and functionality can be controlled remotely. Council takes weekly water samples from Lake Albert. The performance of the ultrasound technology will be gauged against weekly lab results and the green, amber and red algae alert levels. A report will go to Council in December 2019 with the detailed results of the trial and a decision will be made whether to procure the ultrasound units. GUIDELINES FOR LAKE USERS: • Boat users should navigate carefully and avoid the pontoons • Don’t climb on the pontoons • Report any tampering with the units to 1300 292 442 • Don’t swim near the units
INSTALLATION: Five pontoons with ultrasound units were towed to locations around Lake Albert as part of a trial to control blue green algae.
Weekly waste tip The festive season is here! As the celebrations increase, so too does our food waste. Minimise food waste by shopping to a list, using leftovers and storing food correctly. Remember that your green lid bin is collected weekly for all your food waste scraps.