AFTER a five-year battle with Orange City Council and environmentalists to allow rowing on Spring Creek Reservoir, Kinross Wolaroi School launched its boats on the watercourse for the first time on Saturday morning.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The calmness of the water and barely the hint of a breeze was in stark contrast to the storm which has brewed over the right to row on the reservoir for the past five years.
In 2002, after heated and bitter debate and a rescission motion, Orange City Council finally approved rowing to go ahead, only to find the decision challenged in the Land and Environment Court.
After Justice Neil Bignold ruled rowing on Spring Creek would not significantly affect threatened species, Kinross Wolaroi accelerated its rowing program, with parents and friends of the school donating boats for training.
School principal David Williams, who stood on the bank as double and single scullers went through their paces on Saturday, said it was an important day for the school.
"But it is unfortunate that so much of the community's money and the money of our parents was spent to get us to this point," he said.
On Friday environmentalist Professor Jill Campbell met staff and students involved in the rowing program to outline the strict guidelines for the use of the reservoir before the first training session.
The guidelines include no more than 10 boats on the water at a time.
"We see Prof Campbell as an important part of the process and we look forward to working closely with her in the future," Mr Williams said.
At the first training sessions Prof Campbell walked along the edges of the reservoir closely monitoring the reaction of local birdlife to the rowers moving along the course.
Local ornithologist Dr Bernie Huxtable said he would adopt a 'wait and see' approach to the effect on birdlife in the area.
"It is a priceless and unique area and my concern is if the swans, pelicans and ducks leave, what happens then?" he said.
Rowing coach Criana Dihel said training on Spring Creek Reservoir was an important leap forward for the rowing team.
"At Carcoar, where we have been training, it is only 600m long, and so we were having to turn around. It was very hard for us," she said.
Ms Dihel, who rowed in the Romanian Olympic team in 2000, said she had been impressed by the performance of the school so far in its initial meets at regattas at the Olympic Park course against Sydney schools.
"We have only been going since January," she said.
Kinross Wolaroi has a lease to row on Spring Creek for 21 years at a cost of $1250 a year.
The school will train at Spring Creek on Tuesdays, Thursdays and weekends.
A shed to house the boats has been approved by Orange City Council, with work expected to start soon.
Rowing master Bob Holmes said other schools in Orange were permitted to row on the course if they could obtain boats, but must adhere to the stringent guidelines set down by council.
