The main issues of community concern were the annual budget, especially concerning Lake Cathie lagoon, and the proposed so-called Orbital Road (which I'll return to next week).

Lake Cathie is of interest and concern to most of us, the lagoon being a hugely popular local destination.

Revive Lake Cathie is a community group formed in response to the dire condition of the Lake Cathie estuary during drought.

The group has examined the many past reports into the estuary and made strenuous recommendations to council for action, believing council is a major manager of the estuary system.

Council is actually only a minor party in the estuary situation, and control only the entrance opening strategy and cyclic dredging of the lagoon.

The major manager is the NSW government through National Parks and Willdlife, Fisheries and Crown Lands, which has control of the whole area west of Ocean Drive bridge, including Lake Cathie proper, Cathie Creek and the relatively enormous Lake Innes.

The discussion has emphasised the most important thing the estuary needs is rain, as is the case for all local water systems, and the rain in recent days is a huge blessing.

Equally important is Lake Innes, which was once a significant freshwater lake but was opened to the estuary in 1933, for a residential development that never eventuated.

There have been many studies looking to re-close Lake Innes and revert it to freshwater, but none were acted upon.

In my opinion, having read all past studies, re-closing Lake Innes would be the best and most significant action that could be taken to revive Lake Cathie.

Council continues to work collaboratively with all the parties to ensure the best possible management of this beautiful and much-loved estuary.

Cr Intemann's stories from a civic heart are her opinions and not necessarily council's.