By Maris Beck
ILLEGAL sales of a noxious aquatic weed have been blamed for an outbreak in a Cairnlea Park waterway.
The Department of Primary Industries is removing a large infestation of water hyacinth, one of the world’s most invasive aquatic weeds, from a Cairnlea Park lake.
DPI operations director John Balfour said water hyacinth could double in size every two weeks.
“It can choke wetlands, lakes and waterways, severely impacting on irrigation, recreational activities and native flora and fauna,” he said.
“The infestation poses a significant risk to Melbourne’s waterways, with a drainage line from the Cairnlea Lake running directly into Kororoit Creek.”
