Ararat Rural City Council is issuing this statement in response to recent community concerns regarding the management of Green Hill Lake Reserve.
Council is the land manager for Green Hill Lake Reserve and is ultimately responsible for how the site is managed.
The Green Hill Lake Development Board does not operate independently from Council, but is essentially a Community Asset Committee which functions under the auspice of Ararat Rural City Council in the same way that a range of Recreation Reserve Committees and Hall Committees operate.
Council's annual investment in the Green Hill Lake Reserve site exceeds $120,000 which goes towards operational costs including cleaning toilets, the collection and disposal of 60 waste bins, maintenance of the site's infrastructure, and grading its roads.
This operational expenditure is greater than the total expenditure on all other Community Asset Committees combined.
Additionally, Council has undertaken a range of capital works projects at the site such as the 2023 investigation into the integrity of the dam walls, which cost $20,000.
The Green Hill Lake Development Board has made requests to Council for investment in significant projects at the site, including the placement of buoys (a project priced at $50,000), an upgrade of the septic tank at a cost of around $90,000 and the sealing of surrounding roads which would cost a minimum of $600,000.
Council acknowledges concerns regarding the presence of long-term campers at Green Hill Lake. Council firmly believes in balancing the enforcement of local regulations with a constructive and compassionate approach, having engaged welfare agencies which are currently working with some of these individuals to assist in accessing support services and safer, more suitable housing solutions.
The Chief Executive Officer, Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Ararat Rural City Council will call an executive meeting with the Green Hill Lake Development Board to discuss their concerns in the coming weeks.
