New leadership for Lake Dunstan Guardians but same challenge

New leadership for Lake Dunstan Guardians but same challenges

Lake Dunstan watchdog group, the Guardians of Lake Dunstan, elected a new leadership team at its AGM last evening, attended by around sixty local Cromwell residents.

Former Golden Gate general manager Glen Christiansen was elected as the new chairman, and Otago regional councillor Michael Laws as the new secretary-treasurer.

Founding chairman Andrew Burton has stepped down but remains on the executive. In his address, he urged the Cromwell community to “keep the pressure on the responsible authorities.

“They created the lagarosiphon weed threat to Lake Dunstan, through their collective neglect. It’s their responsibility to properly fund the fix.”

Guest speakers at the AGM included Otago regional council director of environmental monitoring Scott McLean, and Boffa Miskell operations manager Marcus Girvan.

Both men received a strong grilling from the meeting as to their organisation’s responsibilities and actions to date.

Regional councillor Michael Laws said that the Guardians deserved congratulations for their efforts “in keeping the lake’s needs in the public eye, and increasing funding on combatting the lake weed from $100,000 last year to $175,000 for the 2017/18 year.”

“It’s still not enough, but it is a good step in the right direction.”

ORC director Scott McLean urged the Cromwell and Dunstan communities to make strong submissions to the council’s pest management review.

“ We do listen. It’s the old story – the squeaky wheel gets the oil.”

The 2017/18 Guardians of Lake Dunstan executive committee is – Glen Christiansen (chair), Michael Laws (secretary/treasurer), Andrew Burton, Ralph de Clifford, Luke Win, Scott Sutherland, Henry Smith, Snow Turner and Ken McGraw.

ENDS

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