Gippsland Lakes 'beyond repair'
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A former manager of the Lake Wellington Rivers Authority, Ross Scott, says the Gippsland Lakes have deteriorated beyond the point of no return.
He contradicts a statement by the Member for Gippsland East, Craig Ingram, that the lakes are in their best condition in 30 years.
Mr Scott, a retired civil engineer, says massive piles of dead mussels and other shellfish are washed up in piles on the beach and thick algal blooms persist around the lakes.
He says the authorities were warned about inflows of farm and industrial chemicals 10 years ago.
"The accumulation of loads of pollutants, the lake would get to the stage where it would roll over as far as its health goes ... you can't retrieve the original condition," he said.
"The lakes are giving every indication we've achieved that now. The warning I think was timely and we didn't take notice of it."
