Community asked to steer clear

THE City of Mount Gambier has started pine thinning works at the Blue Lake Pines plantation on Bay Road, opposite the Blue Lake, as part of council’s endorsed approach to improving public safety and the long term health of the site.

Works will continue until the end of this month, with the area closed to the public for the duration of the works.

Temporary boundaries have been installed and members of the public are asked to stay away from the site, not cross barriers, and obey all signage while machinery and forestry operations are underway.

City of Mount Gambier General Manager City Infrastructure Barbara Cernovskis said for everyone’s safety, the site would be closed while work is underway.

“We strongly urge people to respect the fencing and signage and avoid the area until the works are complete,” Ms Cernovskis said.

The Blue Lake Pines site, also known as Corporation Reserve B, was established as a genetic conservation planting in 2007 and contains multiple pine provenances of significance to the region’s forestry industry.

Council endorsed a whole–of–life management plan for the site in January this year, following assessment by the Forestry Centre of Excellence (University of Adelaide) that identified declining tree health and associated public safety and fire risks.

“This is the first stage of a longer-term management approach that balances safety with the environmental, educational and heritage value of the plantation,” Ms Cernovskis said.

“The works will improve the overall stability and resilience of the site while retaining its role as an important community and educational asset.”