Wednesday, 20 March 2019

 Mr RIORDAN (Polwarth) (10:10): I rise today to congratulate the coming together at last, after many years, of the various responsible authorities for the wonderful Lake Colac. Lake Colac of course is one of Victoria’s largest permanent—well, usually permanent—bodies of water. It is a jewel in the crown of south-west Victoria and sits on the edge of the township of Colac and the foothills of the Otway Ranges. Lake Colac, being one of the largest open bodies of water without subsurface obstacles or infiltrations, is a body of water that is ideally suited for recreational fishing, sporting, boating, birdwatching and passive and other recreations around its shore. For 40 000 years, of course, it was a home and a supplier of a great source of food for local Indigenous groups, but over the last 200 years it has been a wonderful centrepiece for many community activities. However, over time the lake has been unable to develop its full potential because it simply does not have a guaranteed and workable supply of water. It is one of the few lakes where its catchment is smaller than its overall surface area. So we look forward to a meeting this coming week that will see the various authorities come together to hopefully work on a strategic plan.