'Too little too late': Sydney council slammed for response to toxic event in lake

City of Sydney council’s response to a mass wildlife fatality three weeks ago has been described as “too little too late”.

Since March 10, the bodies of at least 25 ducks, along with two ibis, two corellas, a lorikeet and two grey-headed flying foxes have been collected by wildlife volunteers at Lake Northam, adjacent to Sydney University.

Visitors lounging on the banks of popular Lake Northam last week appeared unaware the area had been the site of a toxic wildlife mass fatality. Wildlife rescuers have repeatedly urged council to quickly intervene to warn visitors and protect the 60 species of animal the lake supports. This includes:

• Erecting warning signs about wildlife deaths to protect children and pets

• Cleaning the lake to protect the birds and other wildlife

What testing revealed about dead wildlife at the lake

City of Sydney maintains risk to the community is low and existing permanent signs indicate people and animals should not enter the water.

There have been no recorded wildlife deaths since March 30, and all sick rescued ducks are now dead, indicating the event may be over. Testing of the carcasses revealed bacterial disease botulism was likely responsible for the carnage, and on Monday council voted unanimously to implement new measures that will:

• Mitigate the risk of a “mass-fatality event from reoccurring”

• Review other wetlands around the city

Council response slammed as 'too little too late'

City of Sydney confirmed with Yahoo News Australia it is also now working to remove sediment, reduce excess vegetation, and increase water reticulation. "The City expects these measures to lower the concentration of nutrients and organics in the water while increasing oxygenation," it said.

While rescuers have welcomed council's decision to act, they are angry a response took so long. “It’s unfortunate that action to mitigate this outbreak commenced over three weeks since the first mass moralities were reported by a member of public,” Sydney Wildlife Rescue’s Kelly Murphy said.

After hearing concerns from rescuers, Councillor Yvonne Weldon tabled a motion on Monday to take action to protect the lake. “Wildlife carers are frustrated. They first sounded the alarm three weeks ago and feel that the Council’s response has been a case of too little too late,” she said.

'Animals can't speak for themselves'

Speaking with Yahoo News on Tuesday, Councillor Weldon said City of Sydney had not provided timely information about the issue to councillors, which had left her “surprised and disappointed”.

She believes if wildlife volunteers had not taken action the death toll could have been “much worse”. “It’s alarming — if they hadn’t taken action, would it have just been acceptable that there’d be none left? Because (the mass fatality) certainly wasn't addressed by us, it was addressed by the wildlife carers,” she said.

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Councillor Weldon put forward her motion to help ensure council is proactive at preventing deaths, rather than just responsive to future events. “Animals can’t speak for themselves, but their voices shouldn’t only be heard in death,” she said. “We should be making sure that we’re safeguarding and preserving the habitat for our wildlife.”

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