THE FUTURE of a popular Lake Macquarie "duck pond" remains uncertain despite community feedback calling for the site's preservation.
Around 60 people attended two community feedback session at Whitebridge High on Tuesday, to have their say on what NSW Crown Lands should do with Burwood Colliery Dam.
Key concerns Crown Lands has with the site involve the dam wall's structural integrity, a build up of silt and potential pollutants in the water and safety issues with students crossing the dam wall during periods of increased rain.
Former Lake Macquarie deputy mayor Rob O'Brien, who lives a short walk from the dam, was at the 6pm session on Tuesday.
Mr O'Brien said he rides on Fernleigh track four or five times in a week and sees "thousands" of people at the dam per year.
"Whilst it's a man-made structure, over time it's morphed itself to really be a freshwater wetland," Mr O'Brien said.
"Given how valuable freshwater wetlands are it makes no sense to remove it on the premise that it might silt up or the small dam wall could potentially fail."
Representatives from the state government and GHD, who are consulting for Crown Lands, were at the meeting to hear residents' concerns and ideas for the site's future. Mr O'Brien said GHD representatives "really took on" his comments Tuesday night.
The sessions came following a letter from Crown Lands to Whitebridge residents last week outlining their intention to investigate the potential removal of Burwood Colliery Dam and the site's remediation to a "near natural state".
On Wednesday, a spokesperson from the Department of Planning and Environment did not rule out removal of the dam.
"As the dam is no longer needed for water supply, and the structure is approaching the end of its life, options will need to be considered and developed," the spokesperson said.
"This will include whether the dam should be repaired and maintained, altered, removed to restore the natural creek that formerly flowed through the site, or other potential options."
Feedback the Newcastle Herald has heard from residents is overwhelmingly in favour of preserving the dam, which now acts as a habitat for a variety of bird and frog species.
The dam wall also serves as a connection to Whitebridge High from the eastern side of Fernleigh Track, with some residents calling for the wall to be upgraded and path built in order to connect the track with a new cycleway proposed between Whitebridge and Charlestown.
"Community sentiment would like to see Crown Lands and all the appropriate stakeholders work toward improving the facility along with the potential to incorporate the extension of the Fernleigh Track to Charlestown," Mr O'Brien said.
Prior to Tuesday's meeting, GHD gathered information from students at the high school about their use of the dam wall. Plans and comments, drawn up by the students, were placed around the school's hall during the community feedback sessions.
One student wrote that if the wall were to be removed "walking to school would take at least 15-20 minutes longer".
"Rebuilding the dam to make it stronger and unlikely to collapse is the best course of action," the student wrote.
Further engineering and environmental assessments will be undertaken as well as consultation with Lake Macquarie Council.
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