Rockingham conservationists have succeeded, after years of campaigning, in having Lake Richmond placed on the State’s heritage register.
To the delight of nature-conscious organisations such as Preserve Point Peron, the deep freshwater lake is now protected from any future endeavours that may endanger the rare thrombolites below its surface.
Thrombolites look like low-lying, rounded rocks, but they are organic structures consisting of microorganisms and bacteria. They are living fossils, and continue to grow. These structures are up to six million years old, and actually photosynthesize. However, if interfered with, they are easily broken. A boardwalk has been built above the Lake Richmond thrombolites so that people can observe them without harming them.
Once destroyed, thrombolites do not grow back and are gone forever. They currently exist in only a few places on earth. Awareness of important environmental issues such as the fate of thrombolites is often made possible through the efforts of interested groups, who might use printed information such as flyer and brochure printing to keep the public informed.
Lake Richmond has been classified as a site of ‘exceptional significance’ since it is not only environmentally important, but is also a cultural site for the Aboriginal Noongar people.
The lake was temporarily listed in 2012, but due to the unrelated destruction of thrombolites in other lakes, Rockingham residents and officials knew that it was important to ensure their lake’s protection far into the future.
