Mayor Peta Pinson said she would put forward the matter in a mayoral minute because it was a matter of urgency.

The lake is experiencing salinity and low water levels.

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council would seek a short-term licence with Crown Lands to open the lake if the mayoral minute got across the line at the November 20 council meeting.

Cr Pinson said the conditions of the council's Lake Cathie Opening Strategy had been met.

"The time is now," she said.

"There is barely any water in the lagoon section, the sand shift that has come in has meant we have sand flats and the community is desperate for some action."

The mayor said she hoped, through the mayoral minute, to alleviate the suffering of marine life and acknowledge the community concerns.

Cr Pinson said opening the lake to the ocean would give the lagoon area an opportunity to recover and for the community to enjoy it.

She said there had been three government stakeholder meetings, and while she acknowledged modelling for Lake Cathie and Lake Innes was needed because of the acid sulphate soil issue, the council had the ability under the opening strategy to make a difference in the lagoon area.

A report to the October council meeting outlined progress to date relating to the complex management of the Lake Cathie and Lake Innes estuary system.

Council staff and government agencies have agreed on a way forward.

Meanwhile, a report on the proposed orbital road investigation area will also go before the November council meeting.

The report examines the impact on the strategic business case development of removing the current investigation area for the east-west orbital road from Ocean Drive to the Oxley Highway.

"It is assessed that there is insufficient information at this stage to definitively remove any option from further consideration," the report said.

Other items on the council meeting agenda include water restrictions, the 30^th anniversary of the sister city relationship with Handa City and the draft Community Inclusion Plan.

The meeting begins at 5.30pm on Wednesday (November 20) at Port Macquarie-Hastings Council's Burrawan Street chambers.

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