Stage 1 Park Upgrades
The trial maintenance program for the Nature Park is now complete. As part of Stage 1 the consultants Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) were commissioned to report on the suitability and sustainability of swimming in the waterhole, on the water quality monitoring program and any recommendations to enable swimming in the waterhole.
The Local Management Committee met on 3 November 2010 to discuss the results of the final report by SKM Howard Springs – Trial Water Improvement Works. The report concluded that the attempts to restore water quality to a standardto enable swimming have been unsuccessful and the associated risks are too high to reopen the waterhole for swimming.
A copy of the Report can be viewed here (pdf 1.3Mb).
In response to the results of the Report, the Local Management Committee and the Parks and Wildlife Service have decided the waterhole will remain closed to swimming. The water quality does not meet the Northern Territory’s Recreational Microbial Water Quality Guidelines and the Government’s duty of care to protect visitors means that swimming will not be permitted in the waterhole.
The Local Management Committee agreed that as swimming can no longer be permitted in the waterhole the barramundi should be reintroduced. This decision was supported by the results of the Community Survey which clearly showed that the primary reason people visit the Nature Park is to view the barramundi and turtles, do nature walks, swim and have barbecues.