Families flock to filled lake

VISITORS lined the foreshore and took to the water at Lake Learmonth over the weekend with recent rainfall helping to fill the site for the first time in years.

Wendouree resident Andrea Weston came down for a barbecue with her family, and said it was great to get out on the water in their Pride motorboat.

“It’s been really good being back out on the lake. The grandkids have been out on the biscuit and cruising around. We’ve been having a good family time,” she said.

“We got here about nine in the morning. Normally, we go to Lake Wendouree but we heard the lake was full so we thought we’d go check it out.

“I’ve got my five grandkids here… [plus] two kids and… their three partners.”

Garry Harris said it was great to revisit the lake after many years away.

“We used to come out here quite a lot but we haven’t been out here for about 20 years now,” he said.

“It’s been pretty good compared to how it was because it’s actually full. If it stays that way, that’ll be good.

“They keep shutting [Mortons Cutting] so the lake doesn’t get enough water into it. It’s run by [Goulburn-Murray Water] who keep shutting the flood gates every 25th of November,” he said.

“They don’t allow for any late spring, summer rains to get in but the Ballarat’s council’s working on getting more water running in. That’ll keep it full.”

With the lake filled, the City of Ballarat reopened the site for recreational boating for the first time since 2013.

The site was previously closed on Saturday, 29 October due to rain and reopened on Monday, 28 November after a safety audit that included the installation of access lane buoys, signage and newly-painted beacons.