ONE business-owner has called it quits and locals fear it is only a matter of time before tourists follow suit after a controversial decision to start pumping water from Lake Boga.
From next Monday, Goulburn-Murray Water, which manages the lake to store water, will release water out of the lake to supply it to Murray River customers.
The lake will be taken down to two metres in depth, a reduction of about one metre from its current level.
With the Lake Boga community in the middle of its peak tourism season, local residents and businesses are concerned about the timing of the decision.
Symptomatic of the locals’ worries, the owners of the Raw Spirit Water Park have packed up their recreational obstacle course three weeks before they were due to finish, citing the water level reduction for closing down early.
However, GMW has defended its decision, saying it will take until February for the water level to drop to two metres and that boating will remain possible.
For more on this story, pick up a copy of Wednesday’s Guardian (January 7).
