Peterborough resident relieved after Parks Victoria opens Curdies River mouth, flushes toxic smell

The estuary was artificially opened by Parks Victoria on Sunday after water levels reached 1.3 metres and began to inundate surrounding assets and productive land.

But flooding was back-of-mind for resident Barb Mullen, who said the "marvellous" decision had the town breathing a sigh of relief for other reasons.

"The opening of the inlet is something that makes us all feel easier," she said.

"When it's not open and when the blue-green algae builds up, and the constant daily stench through the township of the algae goes week after week, month after month, it gets depressing.

"You don't go near the river, you can't go fishing, you don't use it without coming into risk with the blue-green algae.

"When the inlet's open, we all breathe a sigh of relief. The water was murky and turbid, but now it's clear.

"We feel it also flushes the system. When the outbreak is really bad as it has been in years past, it's visible.

"It flushes out the blue-green algae, but it's the nutrients which sit at the bottom of the sediment which is really important.

"Those nutrients feed the algae, if that can be washed away in time, things will return, but that's going to take decades and decades."

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But Corangamite Catchment Management Authority estuaries and environmental water manager Jayden Woolley said any perceived benefits to water quality were temporary.

"There are no benefits to marine life by artificially opening the estuary, and whilst there are amenity benefits to the local community by the flushing away of decomposing cyanobacteria material (commonly referred to as blue-green algae) it is unlikely to result in improved water quality conditions or to reduce the ongoing impacts from cyanobacteria blooms," he said.

Mr Woolley also told The Standard it was difficult to predict how long the estuary would remain open, with conditions including flows from the catchment, wave height, wind direction and water levels influencing whether an artificial opening would be successful.

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