A BALLARAT businessman has launched a campaign to return Lake Wendouree to its former glory.
Natures Cargo owner Graham Wilkie yesterday announced the public campaign to raise funds for a water right to buy the 3500 megalitres of water needed to "instantly'' refill the lake.
Would you like to see Lake Wendouree full again? CLICK HERE to join the ''Fill Our Lake'' campaign.
A local community bank has been approached to act as trustee for public donations and Mr Wilkie is now calling for the Ballarat community to back the plan by making donations.
"This is the people's lake...the heart and soul of the city. The lake means something different to everyone, from fishing and sailing, to walking and just sitting there reading a book,'' Mr Wilkie said.
"The lake is like a mecca, a shrine, a place to congregate.
"By sitting back and doing nothing, we are selling our soul.''
Mr Wilkie first devised the campaign after attending a recent national rowing event at Nagambie, which hosted Ballarat's Head of the Lake rowing regatta from 2004-07 after Lake Wendouree became too shallow.
"I realised a dry Lake Wendouree was costing too much ... too much for Ballarat in loss of tourist dollars, too much for the schools in travelling to other venues for rowing training and competing and too much for the environment in all those cars travelling from Ballarat to other regions for events,'' he said.
"We have been waiting to have the lake filled and that waiting time is getting longer and longer.''
He said the water right would buy the initial 3500 megalitres needed to fill the lake, while water from treatment plants would meet evaporation problems.
"If we get the lake full now, we have a good chance of keeping it full,'' Mr Wilkie said.
It is believed not having water in Lake Wendouree is costing up to $10 million annually in lost tourism dollars for Ballarat.
Mr Wilkie has approached a local community bank to set up a trust fund for donations. He said donations would be itemised and funds returned if the campaign failed.
He has also asked other business people to join a fundraising committee.
"I want the fundraising committee to include like-minded people who want the lake to return to its former glory, and sooner rather than later.''
He will eventually approach the City of Ballarat and State and Federal Governments for financial support, but essentially wants the campaign to be community-driven.
Mr Wilkie canvassed the idea at the recent rowing event at Nagambie, with one Ballarat businessman pledging $50,000.
"It is time that people step up and do something about the lake themselves. We are sick of hearing the rhetoric that there will be water in the lake by 2008, by 2010, by 2014. There should be no more excuses,'' he said.
The campaign has already received backing from Lake Wendouree user groups.
Executive officer of Ballarat Associated Schools and organiser of the Head of the Lake regatta, Sharyn Canny said: "We are sick of waiting for the lake to be full again and Ballarat Associated Schools offers its full support
to this campaign,'' Ms Canny said.
Ballarat rowing identity and Rowing Victoria board member Eric Waller said if Lake Wendouree was full Ballarat would have been in the running to host the 2013 FISA World Masters Games.
Ballarat Fly Fishers Association member and past president of the Ballarat Acclimatisation Society, Craig Coltman, also supported the campaign.
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