Homes to ‘threaten waterway’

Andrew Mathieson
EXCESSIVE stormwater from further developments on the fringes of Barwon Heads could kill off a sensitive nearby waterway, objectors have warned.
The opponents to Geelong council’s proposal to shift the town boundaries west in Barwon Heads structure plan say the lagoon cannot handle overflow from highdensity housing.
Stormwater from nearby estates and a golf club already flow into Murtnaghurt Lagoon.
Geelong Environmental Council president Joan Lindros and defiant Barwon Heads Association member Anthony Mignani slammed a proposed land swap between Barwon Heads Golf Club and landowners.
Developers had previously attempted to tradeoff land to the golf club.
Ms Lindros said Barwon Heads had no immediate need to expand and further development would “ruin its character”.
She feared pollutants from proposed development would flow into the Ramsar wetland and put the lagoon under threat.
“There was already concern when the golf club and housing first went there,” she said.
“It was supposed to be monitored.”
Mr Mignani expected the overflow of stormwater to run onto the golf course but said rain this year had already filled the lagoon.
“It’s struggling already and there are still 200 houses to be built,” he said.
Mr Mignani believed further development west of Barwon Heads would put the lagoon under threat.
He won support from his association last week to fight plans to incorporate private land in the structure plan.
“People say it’s a wetland and it needs the water – that’s not true,” he said.