SUPPORT is growing for a public campaign to raise funds for a water right to buy resources to refill Lake Wendouree.
As news of the campaign spread yesterday, interest in the project has come from the business and sporting fraternities, the banking sector and even the Ballarat City Council.
Support from The Courier readers has been mixed, with some congratulating the campaign organiser for the initiative and others suggesting not to tamper with nature and to leave the lake dry.
Owner of Natures Cargo, Graham Wilkie, announced the campaign earlier this week to raise community funds for a water right to buy the 3500 megalitres of water needed to refill the lake.
Mr Wilkie said the water right would buy the initial 3500 megalitres, while water from treatment plants would meet annual evaporation from the lake.
Ballarat business people have been approached to join a committee to run the fundraising campaign.
"I am pleased with the response to this campaign," Mr Wilkie said yesterday.
One Ballarat businessman has already pledged $50,000 to kickstart the project. Other business people contacted Mr Wilkie yesterday, offering support and congratulating him on generating debate about the issue.
Ballarat Mayor Judy Verlin said she welcomed community involvement and debate on the issue.
"This is something the council has not had a position on, but we are keen for feedback," Cr Verlin said.
Since the announcement of Mr Wilkie's campaign yesterday, Cr Verlin said she had been inundated by people wanting to discuss the issue, and she said their views were diverse.
"It certainly has created a lot of interest. That feedback will assist council in its deliberations on the subject."
Mr Wilkie said the City of Ballarat and state and federal governments would eventually be approached for financial support. However, he wanted the campaign to be community-driven.
"I don't want any political party to get mileage out of this. What I want is their money to help refill the lake," he said.
"If we get enough money to refill it immediately, that's great. If we get more, like $2 million or $3 million, then we can do other things like setting up a sinking fund to buy future water rights to compensate for evaporation."
Former users of the lake have voiced their support for the campaign. Support has come from the Ballarat Associated Schools and those responsible for organising the Head of the Lake regatta, as well as other rowing and fishing groups.
And owners of the Lake View Hotel have offered to donate a percentage of their takings if the campaign proved a viable proposition.
"If the science behind this concept is viable and the water is safe and sustainable, we would be happy to donate a percentage of our takings each week towards making it happen," said hotel owners Wayne Sharp, Brett Quinlan and Nathan Tracy in a statement on The Courier website.
Under projects already under way, Lake Wendouree may not be refilled until 2014.
Since the lake was declared dry in December 2006, two major projects have been initiated to refill the city landmark. The first was to divert treated waste water and stormwater into the lake, including 600 megalitres from the Ballarat North Treatment Plant and up to 250 megalitres from Paul's Wetland.
The other was a $1 million project to harvest stormwater from the Redan Wetlands.
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