Lake redevelopment starts

Wet weather may have kept work on the Piesse Lake at bay, but redevelopment has begun on the rundown location.

Excavators arrived on Tuesday afternoon to start work on the project.

Plans to redevelop the area date back to the 1980s.

The first part of the project involves creating a weir in the creek to redirect the water.

The area will eventually become a 1.5m-deep lake with a volume of 25,000sqm.

Plans for a walking trail and future residential properties near the lake are also part of the long-term plan.

The Shire has been waiting on approval from the Department of Environment and Conservation.

To gain approval for the project, there had to be proof the redevelopment would bring environmental, community and social benefits to Katanning as well as be carbon neutral.

The project is part of Katanning’s new $1.3 million sale yards development and is funded by the sale yards.

Keeping the lake topped up with water all year round will be made possible with water captured from the sale yards being channelled to the lake in the warmer months.

Solar panelling at the sale yards also ensures the redevelopment will be carbon neutral.

In order to complete the project, the walking track in the park will be closed to the public.

Katanning Landcare will assist in relocating long neck turtles found in the area to the Police Pools.

Although there were hopes the development of Piesse Lake would be finished by late December, Mr Taylor said March would be a realistic finishing% time.

“We are hoping the lake will be ready in time to capture next winter’s rainfall,” he said.