The Hastings Shire Council's action in opening Lake Cathie, so soon after the Municipal Council's recommendation that the opening be delayed until September, was objected to at Tuesday night's Municipal Council meeting.

The Municipal Council had previously recommended the delayed opening for two reasons: (i) to allow nesting wildlife on Lake Innes to be safely hatched, and (ii) to ensure that the lake remained open or had clear water for the Christmas holiday season.

This view was supported by prominent Lake Cathie residents, including the manager of Cathie Lodge Motel.

Ald Matesich told council that, in company with Mr Albert Dick and Mr Uptin of the Port Macquarie News, he had spent two hours at Lakes Innes on Monday afternoon.

He felt that it was a tragedy to think the opening couldn't have waited another few weeks. He lodged a protest about council being asked to contribute to the cost of the opening.

"If we have to pay then we should have some control," he said. "I don't think the shire is fully conscious of the value of Lake Cathie to locals, to go ahead a matter of hours after getting permission," he said.

"In the matter of a day," he continued, "the wildlife I saw on Monday will be dead."

Council, he felt, should never pay for anything over which it has no control.

"If it's so important that the lake be opened for the fishermen, then the Fisheries Department should be required to absolutely police professional and other fishermen who exploit Lake Innes," he said.

Ald Matesich conceded the type of netting used in Lake Innes was illegal anywhere else.

He moved that the Fisheries Department be required to do its utmost to exercise strict control over the taking of prawns from the lake to ensure it is done legally, and this was carried by council.

The Town Clerk recalled that once, in the past, when the municipal council had unilaterally opened Lake Cathie, it was rebuked.

"Out of this," he said, "came the formation of a committee at Lake Cathie."

Council agreed to take the advice of the committee. The committee asked that the lake be opened now and we recommended that this not take place until September.

The engineer felt that the committee had given consideration only to Lake Cathie; not to Lake Innes.

Ald Matesich told council that as he stood on the high banks of Lake Innes on Monday he had felt that all aldermen should visit the lake.

If the drain connecting it to Lake Cathie was closed, he said it could become a wonderful place for fresh water fish and an excellent future source of water for Port Macquarie.

Wedding bells

Two capable and popular figures on the sporting field - Kevin Gleeson (football and boxing enthusiast) and Miss Carol Avery (star of the hockey field, tennis player and so on) were united in holy matrimony in the Catholic Church of St Agnes on July 5.

The reception was held at the El Paso Restaurant. Carol works at Starrs in Horton Street, while Kevin is employed with the Department of Main Roads.