Windang - Environment

In the past Lake Illawarra and surrounds have been degraded by urban and industrial development. Increased runoff into the lake - silt, industrial pollutants and nutrients such as fertilisers and sewage - resulted in the lake losing its natural filters of wetlands and vegetation around its edges. The formation of the Lake Illawarra Authority and the foreshore improvement works undertaken has highlighted the ecological value of the public land around the lake.

Lake Illawarra Authority has the task of reviving and restoring the lake so that it continues to provide an attractive recreational and tourism resource.

The sandy shoals of the entrance channel provide feeding and roosting sites for many wader species. The number and variety of bird species varies considerably with the season. The foreshore area provides suitable habitats for several rodentia species. (Environmental Defender's Office NSW, Weekly bulletin)

Bird life of Lake Illawarra
Pelicans, Black Swan, Tern, Egret, Cormorant, Spoonbill, White faced Heron, Curlew, Teal, Ibis and Duck are the most prolific species of birds found on the Lake. The main source of food for these birds is fish, weed, microbes and worms found in and around the Lake's edge. (Massey, 1991)

Little Tern
This small partly migratory seabird is listed as an Endangered Species on Schedule 1 of the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act , 1995. A very small colony returns to breed every year on a site at Windang near the Lake inlet. (NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service)

Filamentous algae
This is a nutrient found in the Lake which is important in the growth and development of many species of estuarian fish. (Massey, 1991)

Weed in Lake Illawarra
The weed growing on the lake flats provides food for a variety of fish and birds and is vital in the ecological food chain. If the weed beds are touched in anyway the impact would be devastating to the fish and bird life of the Lake. (Massey, 1991)

Fish stocks in Lake Illawarra
Fish stocks can fluctuate from year to year depending on weather conditions. Species of fish caught in the Lake include Luderick (Black fish), Whiting, Bream, Tailor, Jewfish, Yellowtail, Mullet, Dusky Flathead, Mudcrab and School Prawns. (Massey, 1991)

Lake Improvement works near Windang
Entrance improvement works include - construction of an internal rock wall and an external sea wall through the surf to connect with Windang Island; installation of a sand dune extending almost to the island to create a shallow water way as a bird sanctuary and construction of a boat ramp and channel.(Infolink)