Bringing “Bird Lake” Back
After years of investigation, community advocacy & growing momentum, Baywood Chase Lake is finally moving towards practical action.
Over the past few months, Baywood Chase Lake, affectionately known as "Bird Lake" by many local residents, has become one of the biggest environmental conversations in Suffolk Park.
Now, things are starting to move.
Following strong community support through SPCA's Bird Lake community survey, years of research & advocacy & growing collaboration between residents, environmental organisations, local experts & Council, Bird Lake has reached an important new stage.
We're moving from talking about the problem to investigating practical solutions.
While there is still a long way to go, the past few months have seen significant progress.
Catchment to Coast
"Caring for Country" is more about a catchment to coast approach than identifying single elements of a broader problem.
Bird Lake is connected by water to the sea & lies at the head of the Tallow Creek ICOLL (Intermitently Open & Closed Lake & Lagoon). It is identified as the highest source of pollution in the Tallow Creek catchment. Source: 2023 Hydrosphere Consulting report.
Critically it flows unfiltered into Tallow Creek, through Suffo's largest 5 star tourism business Crystalbrook Resort, into Arakwal National Park & the protected habitats of the Cape Byron Marine Park, before entering the sea when the ICOLL opens up.
Bird Lake is the greatest problem for one of the most nationally significant water body's in the Shire & shining a light on that is why SPCA has been advocating for action for many years.
The Community Has Spoken
Earlier this year, SPCA asked residents a simple question:
What should the future of Bird Lake look like?
Fifty residents took part in our community consultation.
The response was clear.
100%
of respondents said they were concerned about the condition of Bird Lake
96%
supported Council seeking external funding for restoration
88%
supported improvements delivering better water quality & environmental outcomes
82%
supported restoration that benefits the wider Tallow Creek catchment
The message from our community was clear.
Residents aren't looking for another short-term fix.
They want long-term investment that improves water quality, restores habitat & protects the wider catchment.
Because everything in the catchment is connected by water.
After almost 15 years of inaction over a known community hazard, the time has come for something to be done about fixing our lake.
We're Not Starting From Scratch
One of the most encouraging things about the Bird Lake project is that there is already a substantial body of scientific & technical work to build upon.
Bird Lake was constructed in 1990 as part of the Baywood Chase development. It was designed primarily as a stormwater retention basin, receiving runoff from a catchment of approximately 44 hectares before water flows towards Tallow Creek.
Council has been investigating the lake's water quality for many years.
A detailed management plan in 2018 identified issues including poor water quality, algal blooms, low dissolved oxygen, poor-quality stormwater inflows & insufficient aquatic vegetation.
It also identified a range of potential rehabilitation options, including solar aeration, native planting, vegetated swales & rehabilitation of the sediment basin.
More recent Coastal Management Program investigations have continued this work, examining water quality & potential management options across the wider Tallow Creek catchment.
So we're not starting from scratch.
The science is there.
The community support is there.
Now we're looking at how we can turn that knowledge into practical action.
Council Said Yes!
On 20th August 2026, Byron Shire Council unanimously supported a motion seeking practical early action for Baywood Chase Lake while the longer-term Tallow Creek Coastal Management Program continues.
The motion included investigating practical early-win interventions, including consideration of a potential solar aeration pilot, as well as discussions with the community & relevant environmental organisations about a potential native planting day.
This was an important moment.
For years, the community has been asking what could be done now, rather than waiting for every element of the longer-term planning process to be completed.
Council's decision creates a pathway to investigate those options.
But it is also important to be clear about what this means.
Council has not yet approved a fully funded Bird Lake restoration project.
No aeration system has been installed.
A planting day has not yet been scheduled.
What Council has done is support the investigation & scoping of practical early interventions while the broader Coastal Management Program continues.
That's a significant step forward.
The Next Step: Measure, Test & Learn
At Council's most recent meeting in September, the work moved another step forward.
Council considered the Draft Baywood Chase Lake Management Plan 2024.
The staff report makes clear that the document remains a draft technical document & is not an adopted Council position. It has instead been provided for information & record-keeping purposes, with its findings to inform the broader Coastal Management Program process.
Council also requested future work on early interventions, including options such as & aeration.
Our Mayor, Sarah Ndiaye, suggested "Drain Buddies" be installed in all stormwater drains, capturing pollutants before they enter the lake. The stormwater drains were determined by the Council's ICOLL advisory committee as the second highest source of pollution to the catchment, after the lake itself.
Water quality monitoring was also flagged as a critical step. This is really important because before we trial an intervention, we need to understand where we're starting.
Then, if something such as aeration is trialled, we have a baseline to start with & can measure whether it is actually making a difference.
Investigate. Measure. Trial. Learn. Adapt.
That's the approach we want to see.
A Community Planting Day?
One of the ideas proposed by SPCA's Environmental Subcommittee has generated some excitement; a potential community planting day around the tributaries & drainage areas that feed Bird Lake.
We have been exploring practical ways the community can become directly involved in improving the health of the lake & its surrounding environment.
Planting appropriate native species can help improve habitat, strengthen biodiversity & assist with managing stormwater around the lake's tributaries.
But it's important to be clear: planting alone won't fix Bird Lake.
It is one part of a much broader restoration approach that needs to consider water quality, stormwater, circulation, vegetation, habitat & the wider catchment.
That's exactly why we're excited about the possibility of bringing Council, SPCA, Landcare, environmental organisations & local volunteers together.
It isn't just about planting trees.
It's about building a long-term relationship between our community & the environment we all share.
What Happens Next?
Council staff have been instructed to scope & determine funding opportunities in an early intervention report coming back to council in December.
There is still a long way to go. Council staff will continue investigating practical early interventions, including potential aeration, while exploring funding opportunities & ways to improve water quality & biodiversity. Importantly, future investigations will include baseline water-quality monitoring, allowing any potential intervention to be measured against a clear starting point.
Discussions around a potential community planting day will also continue, bringing together Council, SPCA, Landcare & environmental partners.
Bird Lake hasn't been fixed yet. But after years of reports, investigations & community concern, we're finally seeing a pathway towards practical action.
The community has spoken, Council is investigating what can be done & how it can be funded & we're ready to be part of the solution.
Related News
Bird Lake Momentum Continues to Build
Community Update: What We’ve Been Working On
