Getting Her Sparkle Back - by Barry Hennessy (a digital story from the Lake Illawarra MAP Project)

SYNOPSIS: A plea for people to take up the cause of saving and preserving Lake Illawarra
and its surrounds.
SCRIPT: This headline got me riled up. It seemed to me the Lake Authority were prepared to leave it as a total mess and not worry about the north wall at all. The entrance closed within months and the lake began to worsen from its already deteriorated state.

I began writing letters to the local papers and politicians. A few others began to write bad news stories about the lake and galvanized by some local support I got a petition together and managed to get well over 6000 signatures in support of saving the lake.

In May 2001 I was guest speaker at the Windang Neighbourhood Committee meeting. We decided at this meeting to call a public meeting to form the Save Lake Illawarra Action Group

The public support for SLIAG was fantastic. The people wanted their lake to be a place to be enjoyed, not the sewer it was becoming.

We fought long and hard to have a North wall built. We only had one wall and it wasnt working, we needed another to keep the entrance to the lake open.

In 2007 the North wall was built and the lake hasnt closed since they built it and I feel brilliant about that.

But the lake is no were near right yet, now we need to clear the back channel so she stays good into the future. Lake Illawarra is the second largest salt water lake on the NSW coast wouldnt you think shed be a treasure? But the Government dont want to know about her. In a sure labour seat thats as solid as a rock you dont have to give nothing.

So the fight isnt over yet, but Im getting a bit old and weary, we need others, young people with guts and gumption who are willing to stand up for the lake.

For she is the jewel of the Illawarra shes just got to get her sparkle back.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Lake Illawarra
• activism
• digital story