Mr Pope said for about the past six years the community board had lobbied the Otago Regional Council to do more for the health of the lagoon.
Now the council has called for public input into priority projects for the regionally significant wetland habitat after earmarking $260,000 in its 10-year plan for the area.
There had been attempts at progress in the past that had not gone anywhere, Mr Pope said.
However, he was ‘‘very pleased’’ to see the council was prioritising the issue again.
‘‘There’s a long history of that area being used for human recreation, but there’s a cultural component to it as well; it’s the largest freshwater body on the Otago Peninsula and historically would have been an important site,’’ he said.
Potentially toxic cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) was regularly found in the lagoon, he said.
In a statement last week, the council said it had developed a Draft Tomahawk Lagoon Outline Management Plan with a high-level account of the issues, objectives, and potential projects for the lagoon in years two, three, and four of its long-term plan.
Possible projects included a permanent water quality monitoring site, support for community-based pest and weed programmes, and developing areas for public access. Consultation on the long-term plan is open to May 9 and hearings are scheduled for May 20-21.
