Maylands Lakes

Following a review of assets around Maylands Lakes, the wooden outlook structures at De Havilland View/Kittyhawk View, and Dakota Avenue, have been closed off. Temporary fencing will be installed around both outlooks to ensure public safety. An update will be provided following further assessment.

As part of our commitment to improving water quality at Maylands Lakes, the City has been pruning vegetation on the islands at Lake Brearley and Lake Bungana in an effort to deter the cormorant population.

At its January meeting, Council sought confirmation that non-invasive trees on the islands at Lake Bungana would not be pruned.

Unfortunately, the City has experienced issues with its contractor in correctly implementing these works.

A number of endemic Melaleuca trees were pruned by the contractor in error. Herbicide was also applied without authorisation to a number of Japanese pepper trees. Despite this, the trees are expected to grow back.

The City has since engaged an independent arborist who determined the Melaleuca trees are expected to also grow back within 12-24 months. The City is now looking to plant endemic trees on the island and install irrigation to give them the best opportunity to thrive.

This situation is disappointing and the City will not engage with this contractor in future.

A Maylands Lakes Masterplan Workshop has been scheduled for Wednesday 26 February.

For more information and to register, visit the News Feed section of our Maylands Lakes Environmental Restoration Masterplan project page.

At last night's Council meeting, an item of urgent business was raised regarding the pruning of vegetation on the islands at Lake Brearley and Lake Bungana.

Council noted the works at Lake Brearley are nearing completion. Council sought confirmation from Administration that non-invasive trees, such as eucalypts, on the islands at Lake Bungana would not be pruned.

It was also confirmed the City will plant endemic species on the islands during the winter planting season.

In 2024, the City engaged a specialist consultant to prepare a Maylands Lakes Environmental Restoration Masterplan that will approach the water quality issues in a holistic manner.

As part of developing the Masterplan, the consultant Alluvium has been provided with all previous research and data from the City and undertaken additional analysis to better understand the water quality challenges.

This has included reviewing lake water and groundwater assessments undertaken by GHD, and others associated with the Maylands Lakes project. GHD had previously developed estimates of water balance that Alluvium has further refined by considering additional catchment runoff and nutrient concentrations.

Alluvium has also considered international literature around the rates of contributions from birds (Hahn et al 2007) and estimates of cormorant numbers from observations and those reported by community members. The Hahn paper highlighted a per capita loading rate of non-breeders of between 4.5–11.5g Nitrogen per day and 2.1–3.2g Phosphorus per day in great cormorants. Using groundwater contributions of 0.23mg/L and surface runoff contributions of 0.1 mg/L for total phosphorus, Alluvium used the water balance estimations to calculate the loads from the various water sources (groundwater, surface water and lake water), and then estimates of the bird numbers, which ranged from 30 to 300 birds, conservatively estimating 100 birds present for nine months of the year. Alluvium also investigated similar estimates for total nitrogen.

This research has shown the bird contribution is significant (up to a third), and if bird numbers were much lower, the contribution would still be a factor in the overall function of the lakes. Advice received from ecologists, water quality scientists and hydrogeologists indicate algal blooms in Perth occur whenever the water conditions are favourable and there is sufficient phosphorus to ‘feed’ the blooms. Any source of phosphorus, whether it be from groundwater, surface water, sediments or birds, is going to provide the necessary ‘food’ for algal blooms to occur.

Reducing these inputs is a primary focus of the City’s actions, therefore focusing on reducing nutrient inputs, including those from birds, will all help make conditions less favourable for future algal blooms. The City will be planting vegetation on the islands across our winter planting seasons. These works will include establishing appropriate endemic species on the islands to support a more diverse habitat, including sedges which will also act as a natural filter to remove nutrients.

The City will be applying Phoslock to Brickworks Lake as part of ongoing efforts to improve water quality within Maylands Lakes.

The current condition of the lake has been impacted by elevated phosphate levels, resulting in algal blooms. To address this, the City has chosen Phoslock, a scientifically proven and environmentally safe treatment, to bind excess phosphorus and prevent it from contributing to further algae growth. Phoslock is safe for aquatic life, plants and people, and is an effective measure to restore the ecological balance of lakes.

Works will commence on Monday 20 January 2025 and are expected to be completed within the day. Contractors will apply the treatment to the water directly, and all work will be undertaken during business hours. The water will be cloudy as a result.

If you have any questions, contact the City’s Environment Manager Alex Devine on 9272 0660.

The City is undertaking works to prune vegetation on the islands in Lake Brearley and Bungana as indicated in the aerial map below.

Contractors will prune vegetation to one metre in an effort to deter the cormorant population.

Cormorants using the island vegetation during winter are contributing to water quality challenges within the lakes.

Pruning will limit the volume of guano produced by the cormorants, therefore reducing additional nutrients entering the lake.

This action is part of the City of Bayswater’s continuing efforts to mitigate water quality issues within the Lakes.

Works will be undertaken from Monday 20 January and continue into February. Works will include the use of chainsaws and machinery and will be undertaken during business hours.

Local native species will be planted on the islands in winter 2025.

If you have any queries regarding the above, please contact the City’s Manager of Environment Alex Devine on 9272 0660.

On Thursday 12 December, the City held its third Maylands Lakes Community Forum at the Maylands Sport and Recreation Club.

The workshop report and slides can be found below and in the Documents section to the right-hand side of this page.

• Workshop Report
• Slides

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