THE revitalisation of Lake Wyangan has seen another major step forward this week, with the appointment of local engineering expert Tom Mackerras to project officer of the Lake Wyangan and Catchment Management Committee.
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Mr Mackerras, who also serves as Griffith Sailing Club president, boasts an abundance of experience heading into the role, having spent 17 years at A&G Engineering and a further 20 years at SunRice.
"The opportunity to get involved with my feet on the ground as part of the project is pretty exciting," Mr Mackerras said.
"This is a project that has been developing over a number of years, and I've been involved in it through being a community representative on the committee.
"I'm hoping to bring a lot of general local knowledge and engineering experience at a time where a lot of the work is going to be engineering-based."
Mr Mackerras turned his back on retirement to enter the role, having spent three weeks with his feet up before re-entering the workforce.
Griffith City Council general manager, Brett Stonestreet, says the appointment was a no-brainer.
"He's a guy that has got several strings to his bow," Mr Stonestreet said.
"Tom's got engineering experience, environmental experience with a local business, and he's also spent a lot of time participating on our committee for Lake Wyangan as a community member.
"That input is invaluable, having that local knowledge."
The previous project officer Tom Ryan resigned from the position, as he was living in Western Australia and the role didn't suit his personal circumstances.
Heading into his new appointment, Mr Mackerras had a message for the Griffith community.
"It's going to be a very slow remediation process, it's not going to change overnight," he said.
"But once it's completed and we get it to an acceptable standard, it will be a great facility for the community."
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