General News
28 April, 2026
Birdlife missing at Bicentennial Lakes
IT seems to be a case of “now you see them, now you don’t” but one Mareeba resident is asking why the ducks, geese and other birdlife at the town’s Bicentennial Lakes have been greatly reduced since work to remodel the layout of the tourist drawcard began.
Ibina Cundell has spent the past three years living at a vantage point overlooking the Bicentennial Lakes including the “Duck Pond”.
“There used to be a great diversity of birdlife there, ducks, geese and many others,” said the self-confessed local nature lover.
She claimed that following recent extensive remodelling there’s now “not even the occasional duck”.
Mareeba’s Bicentennial Lakes became established as the town’s major 1988 beautification project, designed by then shire engineer John Grant, and quickly became the centrepiece of the town’s repeated successes in the statewide hotly contested annual “Tidy Towns” competition.
The Bicentennial Lakes project transformed an unkempt and untidy gully into a regional showcase including lawns, concrete pathways, two fountains that aerated the slow-flowing waters that attracted considerable birdlife.
However, Ms Cundell claims that since the recent works at Bicentennial Lakes, there has been a noticeable and great reduction in the birdlife variety and numbers that once frequented the precinct.
“It would seem that the water quality has deteriorated considerably with lots of stagnant slime present,” she said.
“Even during this current wet season there has been no seasonal flushing of the waterway.
“After I contacted Mareeba Shire Council a few times about the issue, I was contacted and was told that ‘during the wet season, the birds go elsewhere and then return’.
“However, I have lived here through the past three wet seasons and I can tell you firsthand that this is not the case.
“I question whether or not the hydrology of the project was considered correct, given what we see now at our former picturesque lakes,” she said.
Responding to a number of questions posed regarding the project, Mareeba Shire Council stated: “The project to upgrade the northern section of the Bicentennial Lakes is well underway, supported by nearly $850,000 from the Australian Government.
“This forms part of the broader $1.69 million Bicentennial Lakes revitalisation, a key initiative under the Bicentennial Lakes Masterplan, Parks and Open Spaces Strategy, and the Mareeba Walking Network Plan.
“As part of the project, Council has engaged a specialist contractor to provide environmental oversight, ensuring the protection of native flora and fauna and responsible management of the site throughout construction.
“A key objective of the upgrade is to reconfigure the lakes to improve water flow and water quality.
“Council officers have recently inspected the lakes and confirmed that the observed aquatic plant growth is consistent with normal conditions.
“There is no evidence of fish deaths or any reduction in bird life. Environmental monitoring will continue throughout the project to ensure the ongoing health of the lakes.”
