Lake Kepwari is one step closer to opening with rehabilitation works expected to be completed by early April, Premier Mark McGowan announced in Collie today.
The works will focus mostly on the Collie River South Branch inlet and outlet areas, along with the breach area located on the western bank of the former diversion channel.
Premier Mark McGowan said it was great to start the rehabilitation works at the lake.
"This has been long awaited by the Collie community and will be a terrific tourism attraction and a great recreational facility for locals and tourists alike," he said.
The lake is a former open-cut coal mine which has been operating by mining company Premier Coal for several decades.
In late November, the state government approved Premier Coal's proposal to complete rehabilitation of the area, including earthworks which are now underway to prepare the land for handover to the state.
This has been long awaited by the Collie community and will be a terrific tourism attraction and a great recreational facility for locals and tourists alike.
- Premier Mark McGowan
To undertake these works, Premier Coal awarded the contract to Collie based company Cardinal Contractors.
Mr McGowan said it has been long awaited by the Collie community.
"By opening the lake up to water-based activities like waters-king and wake-boarding, we expect to see many more people visiting this part of the state which will deliver a boost to the local economy and create jobs," he said.
"We look forward to putting in place the government infrastructure, the boat ramps, the camping ground and the road improvements.
"We are very pleased to see that they (Cardinal Contractors) have won this contract as that will create local jobs as well."
Cardinal Contractors manager Jon Andel said it's been a work in progress.
"We have done eight campaigns here at the lake before and we actually originally diverted the Collie River 28 years ago," he said.
"It's good to get local work and keep local people employed in Collie, especially admitting it is getting difficult in Collie with a lot of shops closing so it's good to keep people employed."
It's good to get local work and keep local people employed in Collie especially admitting it is getting difficult in Collie with a lot of shops closing so it's good to keep people employed.
- Cardinal Contractors manager Jon Andel
Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan said a lot of people put a lot of effort into moving this project forward.
"We are committed to diversifying Collie's economy: the Lake Kepwari rehabilitation will pave the way to develop a fabulous new destination in the South-West," she said.
"We are really looking forward to working with the Collie community to get this project finished as one of a suite of a dozen of projects that we are going to have happening in this town to make sure there is that just transition.
"This body of work which is the basic work that the mining company needs to do to hand it on over to us I think is going to take a couple of months to complete.
Then the next stage will be developing the boat ramp and the road access and we understand from our friends at the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions that will be ready to start in March so this will take some time to roll all the bits out."
The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions is set to complete detailed design work for the development of recreational infrastructure at the site, which will include areas for swimming, camping and water-skiing.
Collie-Preston MLA Mick Murray said some bold statements were made early on in the process but he's glad the rehabilitation work to remediate the safety issues at Lake Kepwari is now underway.
"This is a major leap towards bringing the lake up to the standard required for public recreational use," he said.
"It's something special for Collie and it will attract visitors from I think, worldwide, and events as such. So we are very pleased today to say we finally got it going."
