Maylands Lakes Environmental Restoration Masterplan

BACKGROUND

In April 2024, Council endorsed the preparation of a Maylands Lakes Environmental Restoration Masterplan to develop a solution to improve water quality, reduce midge and algal blooms, and enhance amenity and access to nature in the area.

Consideration will be given to the entire lakes system and surrounding catchments as the basis for exploring opportunities for rehabilitation and associated interventions.

The Masterplan will help understand what is likely to best reduce the issues at Maylands Lakes. A team of consultants are working closely with Council and the Scientific Advisory Panel to develop the Masterplan. A key element of this is to talk to residents and the community about the issues and what restoration options may work.

To follow the progress of the Masterplan, view the project tracker. You can also read about actions the City is taking to manage Maylands Lakes and view related information on the Maylands Lakes project page.

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HOW TO GET INVOLVED

In-person: Community Listening Post

The Listening Post took place on Thursday 14 November from 5.30 to 7.30pm at Maylands Sport and Recreation Club. It included a series of displays that outlined current thinking. They were designed to elicit experiences that are not available in scientific reports, understanding that may have not been captured so far. In particular, the consultants want to hear what you think the masterplan should focus on. We know the midge and algal blooms need to be addressed, but what does a restored Maylands Lakes look like to you? What has been your experience so far? What should be our focus?

Online: Interactive Map

Read through the information together with the series of display panels below, then use the interactive map to provide your thoughts.

Community input closes at 5pm on Wednesday 4 December 2024.

PANEL 1. HISTORY

Click to enlargeUnderstanding how the lakes and surrounding area came into existence is important. It helps us understand their current form and gives us clues as to what may have led to the existing issues.

The historical images show that pits were formed when clay was extracted for brick manufacture. The lakes today are largely the same, with little modification in shape i.e. in terms of depth and waterbody outline. You can also see that groundwater is present in many of the images, often with a green tinge. This suggests water already had sufficient nutrient levels to help algae grow (bloom).

PANEL 2. LAKES SYSTEM

Click to enlargeUnderstanding: The causal loop diagram shows the various elements that help cause algal blooms, their connection and if they are key points in the system that can be influenced. This is important because we don't want to just treat symptoms (algal blooms and midges), we want to target causes.

Water and Nutrient Balance: A significant amount of time has been spent researching and understanding studies conducted by the City, as well as collating findings with other observations to help develop a suitable water and nutrient balance. These balances help us understand the largest contributors of water and nutrients, as well nutrient and water levels, which we believe is key to finding potential solutions.

We can surmise with Maylands Lakes that the bulk of the water entering the lakes is either groundwater and rainwater, with little stormwater from the surrounding catchment. Also, a significant portion of the water in the lakes is 'lost' through evaporation, with only a small amount exiting via the drain into the Swan River. This tells us that water that enters the lakes stays there for a long time, too long.

The nutrients entering the lakes are also likely to come from groundwater, excrement from bird life, and existing sediments and water column nutrients that have built up over time.

Understanding the shape and dynamics of the lakes, including their bathymetry (depths), connectivity and water flow patterns, is crucial for determining the most effective approach to their management. Specifically, we know that Brickworks Lake and Lake Bungana are interconnected, whereas the connection to Lake Brearley is limited – likely only via a small pipe or potentially through seepage. Additionally, the system is generally unaffected by the Swan River, except during instances of significant flooding.

When we look at this as a complete system, in our opinion, treating catchment runoff only or dredging sediments only is unlikely to achieve long-term success. In our opinion, you must treat what's already in the lake on a regular basis, as well as help water flow through the system to avoid it being 'stagnant' for 1+ years.

PANEL 3. CURRENT CONDITIONS

Click to enlarge

We have also been closely reviewing the condition of Maylands Lakes to understand their 'look and feel', as well as understanding what can remain and what can be changed. This helps inform potential restoration and treatment options.

We also need to understand what kind of look and feel may be suitable for the future, for surrounding residents, from a maintenance perspective for the City, as well as a cost perspective for all City of Bayswater ratepayers.

PANEL 4. RESTORING THE LAKES

Click to enlarge

Given what you now know, what's important to you?

The consultant team don't live by the lakes, and we don't have a 'lived experience'. Also, research only goes back so far, and many residents have lived by the lakes for a significant period. These long-term observations are valuable.

Understanding the lived experience of residents helps us develop goals that the Masterplan should aim for. These goals will help us develop objectives to guide the plan, and to score treatment or mitigation approaches; resulting in a plan and outcomes that should work best overall.