![Lake Wendouree beach plans scrapped Lake Wendouree beach plans scrapped](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/34dXacDR8RguBkyLHxYXLhN/1a94c0e9-f2fd-4d2d-9ebd-14f82a1187f0.jpg/r0_0_1200_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Council have confirmed the proposal to build a pop-up beach on Lake Wendouree will not go ahead this summer.
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Councillor Samantha McIntosh said the proposal had been shelved for this season, but insisted it would be considered for the 2016/17 summer and beyond.
“We will take our time and we will have the conversation and keep this discussion going.”
In a previous statement council said they were looking at the viability of assembling the beach in late 2015 or early 2016.
While councillor McIntosh declined to give specific reasons as to the project’s sidelining, she said she hoped the proposal had encouraged people to have positive conversations about Ballarat.
“There’s not a lot that needs to be done to put a little bit of sand on the edge (of the lake).
“What we’ve been trying to do is rejuvenate things we’ve already got.”
One of the major concerns raised by The Courier’s readers after the story was first published in November was the rules around swimming in the lake.
As it currently stands, swimming in Lake Wendouree is prohibited except for in circumstances sanctioned by the Department of Health, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) or council.
However councillor McIntosh refused to rule out allowing swimming in the lake if a beach was to be developed in the future.
“We had (swimming in the lake for) ironman last year, we’ve got ironman again this Sunday.”