The Bendigo Rowing Club has trained on the lake continuously for more than 130 years, but its president now fears the 2016 season may prove to be its last if the City of Greater Bendigo does not address the weed issue.

Club president Peter Morison said city staff previously removed the weeds two to three times a year, but could no longer afford to do so, leaving the club cut off from accessing the lake.

Mr Morison said even after the club and other user groups offered to perform the work themselves for free if the council would supply the equipment, city staff continued to cry poor.

“Council have said that they don’t have any money to do it but the groups offered volunteer labour to do the work if they can help provide equipment necessary to do the weeding, so the council is being offered a good deal,” he said.

Mr Morison said the impasse had left the club’s more than 100 members and students unable to train at the most critical time of year for the sport.

“The trouble is of course that this is peak season, as a rowing club this is the peak of our season and we’re supposed to be in full training and we’ve got kids who are supposed to be training now,” he said.

“They’ve got regattas coming up and they just can’t row, it’s impossible to put beginners out there because it’s difficult for beginners and it’s really brought it to a halt.”

Mr Morison said the rowing club was only one of about seven user groups whose operations had been stalled by the weeds, with up to 250 individuals affected.

He said an informal coalition those user groups planned to meet with the council in the coming weeks and was still optimistic about the future of the sport in Bendigo, but that the ball was now in the city’s court.

“The club is one of the oldest clubs in Bendigo, 1872 it was established, and has been in continuous operation, apart from the two world wars, since then and I’d hate to see this bring a club of that long standing in the community to an end,” he said.

“Not that I think that’s likely at this stage, we’re hopeful council will come to the party and we’ll get some action.”

A spokeswoman for the council said the weeds were a natural occurrence and the city was working with stakeholders to investigate options to address the issue.

The Bendigo Rowing Club has been based at Lake Weeroona since 1880.