General News
24 February, 2026
Fire fears heighten as government ducks lake management questions
A SENIOR volunteer firefighter has criticised management of Lake Boort by State Government agencies amid fears of a rising risk of fire.
Boort Fire Brigade captain Kel Mayberry said his brigade had had “zero contact from any of the partners managing Lake Boort”.
“Not even in drafting management plans at any stage have we been contacted,” Mr Mayberry said.
“I am extremely concerned by the heightened risk of the unkept lake and the risk that poses for fire on adjoining areas around our town.”
More than 30 people attended a meeting of Boort Tourism and Development Committee this month where representatives from the Department of Premier and Cabinet gave a briefing on plans for future use of the wetlands lake.
Officials were told the lake was overgrown with fleabane and other weeds and was poorly maintained. The meeting called for Parks Victoria to attended future meeting where the department was providing information on its plans.
Lake Boort is managed by Park Victoria but that agency last week referred questions on fire risk assessment and mitigation to Forest Fire Management Victoria.
A spokesperson for Forest Fire Management Victoria has told the Loddon Herald that the agency “and our emergency sector partners including the CFA work hard to reduce fuel-driven bushfire risk all year round. We share this responsibility with the community and urge Victorians to be prepared and stay informed about the very real fire risk this season.
“We use every opportunity possible to reduce the risk and impact of bushfires through planned burning. In locations and during times that planned burning isn’t suitable, we deliver non-burn fuel management such as mowing, spraying, constructing fuel breaks and maintaining the public land road network,” they said.
Mr Mayberry said poor maintenance was increasing the risk of local volunteers being called to tackle a fire at the lake. “It’s not our role to fight fires on public land,” he said.
Parks Victoria last week said its rangers have completed a range of works at Lake Boort over the last year, including new entry signage, removing rubbish, fencing repairs, wheel cactus treatment and blue green algae monitoring and contributed to “joint monitoring and compliance efforts over the duck shooting season”.
The latest furore over management of Lake Boort comes as submissions close on an application by First Peoples’ Assembly member Gary Murray for federal intervention to ban duck hunting and the State Government’s “evidence gathering” to back its proposals to ban camping, vehicles and other activities.
Loddon Shire has opposed the application.
Claims have been made by Mr Murray and supporters that duck hunters have damaged Aboriginal scar trees at the lake. Game Management Authority last duck season investigated claims but said there was no evidence.
Meanwhile, Game Management Authority last week announced a nine-duck daily limit for the 2026 season that opens on March 18. It says modelling as part of Adaptive Harvest Management for game ducks in Victoria was being used to “inform sustainable duck hunting arrangements each year”.
Read More: Berrimal, Boort