Survey
The survey takes around 5-7 minutes to complete and is open until 11 December 2025.
Options for restoring Lake Tuggeranong: This project is open for feedback
About the project
The ACT Government invites the community to be an active partner in reducing nutrients entering Lake Tuggeranong, to improve the water quality in the Lake for everyone.
Our vision is that, by 2035, Lake Tuggeranong is more consistently free of blue-green algal blooms and, when they do occur, they are short-lived so the Tuggeranong community can enjoy the lake most of the year.
The lake’s biggest water quality issue is blue-green algae, caused by excess nutrients from fallen leaves, fertiliser, grass clippings and soil that make their way to the lake via stormwater drains from our homes and gardens.
A healthier lake is in reach and every household in Tuggeranong can play a part.
Whether you use the lake, live near the lake or simply care about Canberra’s waterways, we want to hear how the proposed options will impact you.
What we are looking at
Research shows that the most effective way to reduce nutrients in the lake is to prevent nutrient pollution at its source. This means that the ACT Government must shift their focus from building wetlands and other assets that treat stormwaters once they have become polluted, to include more options to stop pollution at its source.
Community action can greatly contribute to stopping pollution from entering our waterways by reducing fertiliser use and ensuring grass clippings and leaves end up in composts or green bins, not in stormwater drains.
Your feedback will help us understand:
- How the lake’s condition affects you and your community
- What might enable you to take action at home
We are also seeking ideas on how we can take a whole community approach to implementing the options. If we all work together, we will be able to achieve great changes for our lake.
As well as seeking input from the broader community, we are engaging directly with First Nation’s people, peak organisations, community groups and businesses.
How to have your say
Share your feedback on the draft options to improve the health of the lake.
- Complete the survey
- Leave a quick comment
- Visit a pop-up
- Attend an information and feedback session
What would help you manage leaves and grass clippings to stop them from washing into stormwater drains?
Don't have time to complete the survey? We still want to hear from you! Leave a quick comment to have your say instead. Tell us how the health of Lake Tuggeranong impacts you and what you would need to feel more prepared in managing garden waste to prevent it washing into our storm water system, and ultimately, the lake. (max 140 characters).
Background information
Read a summary of the possible options that Government may use to improve the health of the Lake in the Community Consultation Paper: Developing a 10-year plan to restore Lake Tuggeranong. Read the technical reports on the Lake Tuggeranong Catchment Plan web page.
The journey of stormwater
During the ‘journey of the stormwater’, it’s possible to remove nutrients from the system, or to treat algae at three stages.
It will take a variety of actions to improve the health of the lake – there is no one single solution.
The most effective way to reduce nutrients in the lake is to prevent nutrient pollution at its source, that means preventing fallen leaves, fertiliser, grass clippings and soil from getting into stormwater drains in the first place from gardens, driveways and roadside verges.
The impact of having your say
Your feedback will help the ACT Government take steps to develop the 10-year plan to restore Lake Tuggeranong. This includes consideration of which of the potential options Government may use to improve outcomes.
