WATER levels, wind, waste discharge and the lack of a marina have stymied houseboats plans for Lake Hume.
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Goulburn-Murray Water has cited those factors in deciding to no longer entertain a proposal by Albury councillor Murray King to introduce houseboats to the lake.
The body’s chairwoman Jo Anderson told Cr King in a letter that his plan also required “several legal changes”.
“This issue was discussed at the December Board (sic) meeting and while the Board is very supportive of regional development….it was not deemed appropriate to further investigate the matter,” Ms Anderson wrote.
In shelving the project, four factors were specified.
Firstly the water level which could vary between 10 per cent and 100 per cent in a year which would result in ramps being ineffectual in removing houseboats.
The other issues were a lack of shelter for houseboats to take cover from high winds or storms, no designated mooring points or marinas for berthing and no discharge points for waste.
Cr King was disappointed by GMW’s attitude.
“I don’t think they’re really trying, I think it’s turned into an exercise of saying ‘no’ and then when we overcome a problem there’s another ‘no’,” he said.
“I don’t think they want it.”
Cr King said he would persist with his idea, which was a promise he made during his election campaign.
He said he wanted a trial over two years and at the end of that time people “can say that was a great idea or that was a fizzer”.
Cr King believed all the hurdles cited by GMW could be overcome.
“There could be a rule in place that if the water went below boat ramps out come the houseboats,” he said.
“As for the waste I estimate there’s a 1000 cows grazing on the land near the lake and they’re not going up to the barn to the toilet.”
Cr King hopes to engage the support of Wodonga councillor John Watson to put more pressure on GMW.
Cr Watson is expected to discuss his support for the idea to his council colleagues in the next month.
Cr King will continue to talk with GMW, although he admits when he spoke to board members last month “they were polite but weren’t that interested because I think they think that there’s a lot of work involved in it and their budget doesn’t extend to this type of initiative”.
GMW did not reply to The Border Mail.
