Port Douglas resident, Kate Allwright, says the lake adjacent to Port Douglas Road near the entrance to town is an eyesore that needs urgent attention.

Ms Allwright said the problems caused by the weed 'Salvinia', and Council efforts to rid the lake of it have damaged the lake's flora.

"This is what visitors to our town see as they first turn into Port Douglas Road. There used to be beautiful big pink and white lilies but now the lake seems to be dying," she said.

"This lake has been sprayed several times in the battle against Salvinia, it has also had the dead weed dragged off it twice and carted away by a dump truck.

"Salvinia is still there but the poison has now killed the water reeds, and the water lilies are only just hanging in there. Now that the water reeds are dead, when we get rain they float down and clog up the drain."

Ian Lowth, Council's General Manager of Community, Sport and Cultural Services admitted the weed was difficult to control, however he believes they are winning the fight.

“Salvinia is a highly invasive weed that can seriously impact on natural eco-systems. It can suffocate waterways by reducing oxygen levels in water and in turn threatening wildlife and other plant life.

“The most effective method of Salvinia weed management is by chemical spraying. In carrying out spraying, only chemicals that are registered for use in waterways are used and correct dosages applied, as per environmental guidelines, to minimise any risk to the health of the natural environment.

“An assessment of the current state of the lake indicates that spraying of the weed has been successful to date, and, importantly, the presence of healthy aquatic life in the lake supports current activities," he said.

Mr Lowth added that efforts needed to continue or the state of the lake would deteriorate.
 
“Indeed, leaving the weed untreated poses the greatest risk to the environmental health of the lake.”