Varsity Lakes hands over last environmental areas

Delfin Varsity Lakes has handed over ownership of 120 hectares of lake and wetlands to the Gold Coast City Council as the project nears completion, after more than 10 years of maintenance by Delfin Lend Lease.
Spanning 80 hectares, Lake Orr is the largest partially man-made lake on the Gold Coast attracting an average of 10,000 users each year for events including rowing regattas, dragon boating, Varsity College sailing and residential recreational use.
The 20 hectares of wetlands in the Varsity Lakes Conservation Park were created by Delfin Varsity Lakes as part of Delfinâs regional environmental commitment to cleanse stormwater and provide an important habitat for marine and terrestrial wildlife.
Delfin Varsity Lakes Senior Project Director Carl Bruhn said the final handover of these environmental areas marks a significant milestone for the 11-year-old Varsity Lakes community.
Bruhn explains âthese handovers to Council are major landmarks for the community as they represent the last phase of a handover process that has been years in the making.
âThe community originally assisted in establishing the wetlands and the 21-year-old Lake Orr has been rigorously monitored by Delfin to ensure the continued use of such a great recreational facility.
âWe are confident the community will continue to take pride in these areas now we have handed them over to Council.�?
Divisional Councilor Jan Grew said the community has interacted very positively with both Lake Orr, Lake Azzurra and the Varsity Lakes Conservation Park over the years.
âThis reassures us that the sustainable elements that have been put in place will continue to be enjoyed by the Varsity Lakes community into the future.�?
Other Delfin Varsity Lakes environmental initiatives have included preservation of existing trees within some of the 30 parks, recycling of captured stormwater for use in park establishment and road construction and inclusion of educational signage to identify and describe environmental features.
Varsity Lakes will comprise 4,500 homes upon projected completion in 2011 and up to 100,000 metres2 of commercial space in town centre Varsity Central. It will become home to more than 10,000 residents and more than 6,500 employees.
Varsity Lakes is being developed by Delfin Lend Lease, Australiaâs largest developer of master planned communities, with 25 projects nationally.