Peter Hopper Lake revitalisation

Peter Hopper Lake Mayor and Peter Hopper

What's been done

Major construction works at Peter Hopper Lake in Mill Park have now been completed as part of Council’s multi‑million‑dollar lake revitalisation project.

In recent years, water quality at the lake declined, resulting in regular blue‑green algae blooms that were unsightly and harmful to wildlife. With support from a $2 million Australian Government grant through the Urban Rivers and Catchments Program, Council commenced a staged rehabilitation project in early 2024 to restore the health of the lake.

Delivered improvements

The project has delivered significant upgrades to improve water quality, manage stormwater and support a healthier lake environment.

Works completed include:

Removal of large volumes of sediment, silt and pollutants that had accumulated on the lakebed over many decades
Reshaping of the lake and construction of a new sediment pond
Installation of a gross pollutant trap to capture rubbish, leaves and debris before stormwater enters the lake
Construction of new stormwater diversion infrastructure and inlet pipes
Construction of a new spillway weir
Installation of a raingarden to naturally filter lake water and remove excess nutrients
Installation of pump and valve infrastructure to recirculate lake water through the raingarden
Ongoing aquatic and landscape planting as water levels returned

This infrastructure is designed to improve the quality of water entering the lake, reduce nutrient build‑up and improve long‑term lake health.

Water quality and current conditions

While major works are complete, the lake is now moving through a natural establishment and recovery phase. During this time, water quality can vary as plants continue to establish and stabilise the ecosystem.

What is most visible on the lake’s surface at present is Azolla, which is a harmless floating aquatic plant. While Azolla can appear unsightly in the short term, it feeds on excess nutrients in the water and is helping improve water quality as the lake recovers. As weather cools and underwater plants become more established, the Azolla is expected to thin out and disappear naturally.

Low levels of algae have been detected during monitoring, which is not unexpected at this stage of recovery. Council is continuing to monitor algae levels regularly.

Council will continue to closely monitor water quality and lake conditions as the recovery phase progresses.

Temporary fencing and next steps

For safety reasons, temporary fencing will remain in place around parts of the lake until works to reconstruct the circuit path are completed. Where possible, breaks in the fencing will be provided to allow public access to the lake.