“This will make the island easier to access and we’ll be able to clean it up,” said Nambucca Valley Council General Manager Bede Spannagle.

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The lake, featured in last week’s NOTA, has suffered from a host of problems associated with low oxygen levels.

Numerous solutions that have been installed over the past few years have done little to improve the situation.

Mr Spannagle anticipates feral dogs, cats and other predators along with human traffic will make it a less enticing nesting spot for the white ibis who have been calling it home.

Council hopes this will be a step in the right direction for the malodorous park which has been over-run with birds almost since it was installed.

Hundreds of birds, mainly white ibis, nest in the trees and surrounds of the two islands.

On Thursday night, Nambucca Valley councillors voted to adopt the measure of a land-bridge from the three proposals which were presented.

Other suggestions included a polycarbonate bridge to the mainland and completely filling in the lake to create a large public space.

The land-bridge was the cheapest of these options with an anticipated budget cost of under $30,000.

In discussing her reasons for voting for the motion, Councillor Susan Jenvey said, “A little contrarian part of me doesn’t want to open up the island because the birds are safe there and I like the fact that it’s known as ‘bin-chicken city’ but one of the islands will be kept them and the time has come (to clean up the space)”.

By Ned COWIE