Bird Lake

Bird Lake, officially known as Baywood Chase Lake, is an artificial lake constructed in 1990 as part of the Baywood Chase urban development.

It was designed primarily as a stormwater retention basin & receives runoff from a catchment of approximately 44 hectares. Water leaving the lake ultimately forms part of the wider Tallow Creek catchment.

No. Baywood Chase lake is a constructed urban waterbody.

It was created as part of the stormwater system for the surrounding development. That means managing its water quality requires consideration of the catchment, stormwater flows, sediments, vegetation & the way the lake functions as a constructed system.

There is no single cause.

Studies have identified a combination of factors including nutrient inputs, low dissolved oxygen, algal growth, long water residence times, stormwater inflows and sediment-related issues. The large bird population can also contribute nutrients through droppings.

This is why restoration needs to look at the lake & its catchment together, rather than relying on one intervention.

Yes.

Bird Lake is part of the Tallow Creek catchment. During high flows, water moves through drainage channels towards Tallow Creek. The condition of the lake therefore has implications beyond its immediate boundaries.

The 2026 community consultation also recognised the importance of improvements delivering benefits throughout the wider catchment.

Sediment removal has been considered as one possible management option, but the 2018 assessment did not identify it as the strongest overall option.

The management plan also identified problems with the lake's underlying design & water quality processes. Simply removing accumulated sediment would not address all of the factors contributing to poor lake health.

The focus is therefore on a combination of measures that can address water quality, stormwater inputs, circulation, vegetation & habitat.

A number of options have been investigated over time, including:

• Solar-powered aeration
• Rehabilitation of the existing sediment basin
• Native planting & weed management
• Vegetated swales
• Improved stormwater treatment
• Treatment wetlands
• Changes to water flows
• Recycled-water inputs
• Habitat & bird-management measures.

The 2018 Management Plan assessed these options using a multi-criteria analysis, while later Coastal Management Program work has continued to assess options in the broader Tallow Creek context.

Solar aeration uses solar-powered equipment to introduce oxygen & mix the water.

The 2018 Management Plan identified low dissolved oxygen & stratification as important factors in lake health & found that solar-powered aeration had potential to improve oxygenation, mixing & the risk of cyanobacterial blooms.

Council staff have subsequently supported investigating & scoping a potential aeration pilot as an early-win initiative.

Currently a pilot has not yet been installed.

No, planting alone will not fix the lake.

Native vegetation can provide habitat, improve biodiversity & help manage stormwater; the 2018 Management Plan identified vegetation enhancement as a preferred rehabilitation option.

However, Council staff have noted that additional planting by itself is unlikely to produce a measurable improvement in the lake's current water-quality problems because it does not address the primary drivers.

Planting is best understood as one part of a broader restoration program.

Not yet in the sense of approving a fully funded construction project.

However, on 20 August 2026 Council unanimously supported a motion seeking practical early-win action, including investigation and scoping of a potential solar aeration pilot and consideration of other practical interventions while the longer-term Coastal Management Program progresses.

The motion also supports discussions around a potential community planting day.

There is not currently a fully funded, standalone Bird Lake restoration project.

Council staff advised that work outside the existing approved programs has no allocated staff or budget resources, while practical early-win initiatives could potentially be pursued through external grant funding or a future Operational Plan.

This is one reason funding & partnership opportunities are an important part of the restoration pathway.

Community involvement can include participating in consultation, citizen science, monitoring, planting & restoration activities, sharing local knowledge & supporting funding & partnership opportunities.

Earlier community initiatives have already included citizen-science proposals to investigate water quality in the Tallow Creek catchment.

SPCA's proposed Citizen Science Program is intended to build on this work by improving access to information & supporting long-term community participation. More information to follow shortly.