Peter Hopper Lake restoration project progresses
Published on 18 November 2024
A major project to return Mill Park’s Peter Hopper Lake to good health will soon move into an important new phase.
The project’s first stage, which saw the removal of about 3000 cubic metres of sediment from the lakebed, is complete and the second stage will begin in the coming months.
City of Whittlesea CEO Craig Lloyd joined Member for Scullin the Hon Andrew Giles MP and Member for Mill Park the Hon Lily D’Ambrosio MP on 8 November to view the progress.
Located in the Redleap Recreation Reserve, Peter Hopper Lake started as a farm dam before the surrounding land was subdivided in the 1970s for residential housing.
Over many years, the lake has experienced a decline in water quality, resulting in numerous algae outbreaks.
Council’s expert engineers and environmental scientists have worked with specialist consultants on a plan to end the cycle of algae blooms.
The first stage of the project was completed in June and involved removing the silt and other pollutants that had built up on the lakebed over decades.
The second stage includes removal of the central island and construction of a gross pollutant trap, sediment basin and raingarden.
The Friends of Peter Hopper Lake residents’ group played an important role in advocating for Federal Government funding to support the revitalisation project.
City of Whittlesea CEO Craig Lloyd said it was imperative that Peter Hopper Lake was restored so it could once again be enjoyed by the community.
This activity is jointly funded by the Australian Government’s Urban Rivers and Catchments Program and the City of Whittlesea.
Quotes attributable to City of Whittlesea CEO Craig Lloyd:
“This is a complex project that has been years in the planning and I’m delighted that we are so close to seeing Peter Hopper Lake once again being enjoyed to its full potential.
“Not only will residents benefit from the restoration project, but improved water quality at the lake will result in a thriving habitat for a diverse range of native flora and fauna.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Scullin the Hon Andrew Giles MP:
“Peter Hopper Lake is central for the Mill Park community and wildlife.
“With this restoration that the Albanese Government is delivering in partnership with the City of Whittlesea, locals can enjoy this important community hub once again.
“This is a project that I have been fighting for my electorate of Scullin for years. I am excited to be a part of a government that puts the environment front and centre – where it belongs.”