Steering Group Sullivan Lake

THE Sullivan Lake Care Group’s steering group feels both sadness and frustration reading  Marlene and Theo Johnson’s letter, Beacon, September 27. Their description of Sullivan Lake is sadly too true. Our care group has been advocating for improvements, basic care and maintenance of the lake and reserve since 2012, an area once lauded by Whakatāne District Council as “the jewel in Whakatāne’s crown.”

The 2021 long-term plan allocated $100,000 for an investigation into improving the water quality of the three waterways in the district, Matatā Lagoon, Awatapu Lagoon and Sullivan Lake. The report was made available in November 2023, and we are not aware of any decision in the 2024 long-term plan to act on the report’s recommendations, which included our group’s submissions.

While the council was waiting for the report, no maintenance was carried out  and the water lilies have multiplied and spread throughout the lake, becoming an eyesore and safety issue. The edges of the lake were smothered by the lilies, posing a danger for walkers and particularly children walking around the lake. The lilies around the lake edge were sprayed – the least effective method of control – as well as further degrading the water with decaying plant matter.

It is difficult to read such a description of our lake by visitors to the area and we are left asking, why is it so neglected by the council, which has responsibility for its care and upkeep? In 2023, Whakatāne was judged the “Most beautiful large town,” in the Keep NZ Beautiful awards.

We can only assume the judges visited selected areas, such as the town and rose gardens, which are very attractive with their well-maintained gardens, and  kept well away from  Kopeopeo and Sullivan Lake. Again, we are left asking why are there such discrepancies?

Last week, a team from Corrections were at the reserve and weeded around the plantings on the lake edges and this  has made a significant  improvement to the appearance of the reserve. This is a care group initiative, and we value the work the teams achieve.

When visitors to our town are motivated enough to write to our newspaper drawing attention to such contrasts of care, we can only hope for some long overdue action by our council.