[Speaker: Anthony Judd (CEO, Buloke Shire)]
So, at Green Lake today, just south of Sea Lake, today is an enormous day for Buloke (Shire). So, for many, many years, this lake hasn't held water and it's been a key priority to get water back in the lake.
[Speaker: Jodi Cant (Strategic Planner, DELWP)]
Tonight's really been about the community together withall of the agencies that have worked together along the way to really celebrate this special place as part of the Loddon Mallee region. And there's a lot of staff in all of those organisations that have a level of ownership about this project. Managing directors and regional directors right through to the staff that helped set up the fountain in the middle of the lake. It's a real celebration.
[Speaker: Bernie Dunn (Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water)]
The lake's been dug up. It's been re-compacted. Found over 100 trees and tree stumps, old wells, large pockets of sand. So, the lake really never had much of a chance of holding water long-term. So, those things have been removed, remediated. Clay has been spread and recompacted through the bed of the lake. And, well, what we can see today-- It's been filling now for about five weeks about two and a half megalitres a day; 3 foot out in the middle at the moment. So, they'll be paddling at Christmas and they'll be skiing next winter. You can't put a price on that.
[Speaker: Jodi Cant]
Every part of this project was done with the community at the centre of that conversation. And it's a really great example of where the community have got what they were looking for. We've managed it in such a way that we had all of the environmental aspects considered as part of the process. So, it is absolutely a win and I can't wait to see what it looks like, you know, in another two or three years time, when we see some of that vegetation, we anticipate returning around the lake edges. And it'll be a great place for a whole host of reasons.
[Speaker: Anthony Judd]
We had to figure out geotechnically how we treat the lake, but also the social benefits, the economic benefits, the environmental benefits of getting water back in since DELWP's funded it. And I think through that there's been enormous amount of community consultation. A lot of storytelling about the old lake and you can see some of that today with how many people are here and enjoying what are going to be the great benefits.
[Speaker: Darren Bailey (President of the Green Lake Committee of Management)]
When the Minister was there for the opening of the Donald Weir Pool and then all of a sudden [Minister] Lisa [Neville] just said Green Lake and the ears popped up and she said Green Lake is going to be full funded. And I still choke up now. From then on it was just unreal. The younger generation misses out in an isolated town. There's not really many social avenues that they can follow up with and all I know myself how important it is to keep the local kids in the area. I can't wait till the day that we actually are out here swimming and that again. The community is going through a pretty tough year, this year as a farming background. And so, like I said, when you're drive in the gate you just forget about everyday stressors. So, it's just a good community spirit.
Page last updated: 11/08/25