DID YOU KNOW THAT?

Channel Deepening Project

Is it sustainable?Is it sustainable?Blue Wedges Coalition Blue Wedges Coalition & The Fishing Party (Victoria)

DID YOU KNOW THAT?

Even though the Independent Panel who investigated the Environmental Effects

Statement (EES) found 137 items that were not suitable for acceptance of the project, the dredge is ON ITS WAY and scheduled

to start work in AUGUST!

DID YOU KNOW THAT?

• The Bracks Government has approved a TRIAL DREDGING both in the upper bay, Yarra River and Port Phillip Heads.

• Trial Dredging is DREDGING. The effects particularly at Port Phillip Heads are IRREVERSEABLE!

• DEAD IS DEAD! Just as scientific whaling is the killing of whales, this project will kill our marine life and seriously damage our marine environment.

DID YOU KNOW THAT?• The Victorian Government has already spent over $12 Million of

taxpayers money on this project for a negative result.• They now intend to spend even more of OUR money on a

Supplementary Environment Effects Statement (SEES). • THEY will not stop until they pay for the answers THEY require!• If there are to be any further investigations it should be paid for

by those who stand to gain from the project. ie International Shipping Companies.

• The PoMC Economics expert witness and Peer Reviewer Matthew Lee admitted under cross-examination that:

• “Benefits to individual Victorians would be immeasurably minor!”

Exxon Valdez Prince William Sound Alaska

Exxon Valdez Prince William Sound Alaska

DID YOU KNOW THAT?

- The whole operation will cost Victorians in excess of $1 Billion.- The shipping companies will make most of the profit.- The Exxon Valdez clean-up has cost in excess of $US5 Billion.

Prestige Disaster 2002Prestige Disaster 2002

DID YOU KNOW THAT?

• Earlier attempts to dredge the Heads were halted because of erosion to Point Nepean.

• That Bass Strait tides are up to 2 metres higher than Port Phillip Bay due to the size of the Port Phillip Heads opening.

• Average tides will rise and fall approximately 10mm more/less, however storm surge may have significant increases.

Map from EESMap from EES

• 40 million tonnes of spoil- sand silt and habitat

• 2 dump sites in bay

• 3-7 million tonnes of toxic Yarra silt

• 2 year duration

• 40 million tonnes of spoil- sand silt and habitat

• 2 dump sites in bay

• 3-7 million tonnes of toxic Yarra silt

• 2 year duration

How will increased tidal movement and storm surge

effect our sensitive intertidal areas, wetlands and water

table?

Mt. Martha Nth. September 2003

There was once approximately 50 metres of beach in front of these beach huts!

Mt. Martha Nth. September 2003

There was once approximately 50 metres of beach in front of these beach huts!

The guidelines of the EES did not allow for full investigation on land based effects such as detriments to water quality on our beaches, effects to bayside businesses, public health or destruction of our tourism and

charter industries.

The guidelines of the EES did not allow for full investigation on land based effects such as detriments to water quality on our beaches, effects to bayside businesses, public health or destruction of our tourism and

charter industries.

Our marine habitat is more than just rock and mud!

Photo: William BoylePhoto: William Boyle

Did you know that giant Sunfish are a regular visitor to our Bay?

What else don't we know?

A trend we cannot resist?

For this……….

By 2020…

• No. of calls per year 2,122• % Container ships affected 9% • No. affected per year 193• No. of containers removed/Call 300• No. of containers per year 58,000

(Approx. 10 full 6,000 TEU ships per year)

The Sea Giant: the Age 11th October 2003The Sea Giant: the Age 11th October 2003

This ship was built was about the same time as when the present state environmental legislation was written - mid 1970’s. The oil industry demanded larger tankers - they were a flop! Needing to be decanted onto smaller vessels that could access ports of the world. Oil industry was wrong in the 70’s. Perhaps the container industry is wrong in 2005.

Threshold decisions

• Do we want to continue to grow at 5% per year?

• Are we prepared to take ALL the associated risks?

• Are we wedded to present engineering and freight handling technologies?

We already allow the entry of many ships that are black banned in

international ports!

But....EES Terms of Reference specifically excluded;

• Land based impacts• Funding arrangements• Alternatives

Dec. 2002 off Portsea.

This 220’ dredge is miniscule compared to the “Queen Of The Netherlands”, a Foreign owned and operated dredge.

The company contracted who own the dredge Royal Boskalis have no assets nor interests in Australia, and under the terms of the contract and Facilitation Bill they will be all but immune from litigation.

They will also be responsible for their own environmental monitoring!

Dec. 2002 off Portsea.

This 220’ dredge is miniscule compared to the “Queen Of The Netherlands”, a Foreign owned and operated dredge.

The company contracted who own the dredge Royal Boskalis have no assets nor interests in Australia, and under the terms of the contract and Facilitation Bill they will be all but immune from litigation.

They will also be responsible for their own environmental monitoring!

Photo: Peter FearPhoto: Peter Fear

Dredge Plume

The Rip December 2002 – Photo Peter Fear

Dredge Plume

The Rip December 2002 – Photo Peter Fear

Channel Deepening Facilitation Bill

• Alters Victorian Constitution• Removes long standing Third Party Appeal rights• Affected parties cannot seek review of any Ministerial

decision related to project• Reduces access to areas of the Bay - as specified by the

PoMC• Further impost on Bay businesses• The Bill is still before Parliament and can be presented

at any time.

How the Bay keeps clean - the Nitrogen (N) Cycle

What you see is maintained by what you cannot see.

– Sediments and benthic ecosystem critical for function, water quality, aesthetic value and preservation of the Bay.

– entire volume of Bay filtered on a weekly basis by micro flora and fauna.

The EES Oceanographers own computer modeling showed massive dredging plumes covering our

precious Marine Parks!

Truck traffic set to double by 2010 and quadruple by 2030 in some portside suburbs.The Age: Various articles 2002, 2003

The Health Report: ABC radio 28th April 2003

Truck traffic set to double by 2010 and quadruple by 2030 in some portside suburbs.The Age: Various articles 2002, 2003

The Health Report: ABC radio 28th April 2003

This proposal is about:•Saving Shipping industry $1.4 billion in transport costs over 25 years.

•Catering for the anticipated over-supply of larger vessels on the major East-West trade routes.•moving containers in the manner favoured at the present time by the container industry.

“Boxes of stuff to stuff into our houses”

David Suzuki

“Boxes of stuff to stuff into our houses”

David Suzuki

A threshold decision…………..

Some other consequences of our threshold decisions...

what are we moving in these boxes?

Contacts

Blue Wedges Coalition

P.O. Box 162Dromana VICTORIA, 3936

[email protected]

www.bluewedges.org

The Fishing Party (Victoria)P.O. Box 125Patterson LakesVICTORIA, 3197

[email protected]

www.thefishingparty.info

SIGNATORIES TO THE CHARTER• Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League Inc. • Port Phillip Bay & Westernport Professional Fishermen's

Association • Frankston Beach Association Inc. • Southern Shark Gillnet Fishermen's Association • Carrum Anglers Club • Sandringham Bicycle Users Group. • The Fishing Party (Vic) • Brighton Foreshore Preservation Association Inc. • Friends of the Brighton Dunes at the Dr Jim Willis

Reserve • Western Region Environment Centre - Werribee. • Kananook Creek Association Inc. • Westernport & Peninsula Protection Council Inc. • Bellarine Seastar • Kingston Conservation & Environment Coalition Inc. • Friends of Rosebud Beach and Foreshore Inc. • Carrum Residents Action Group Inc. • Friends of Chinaman's Creek Inc. - West Rosebud. • Polperro Dolphin Swims - Sorrento. • Protectors of Public Lands Inc. (PPL) - Victoria. • Clean Water Cycle • Beaumaris Conservation Society Inc. • Yarraville Residents Traffic Group • Southern Peninsula Indigenous Flora and Fauna

Association Inc. • McCrae Homestead Coastal Group Inc. • EarthCare St. Kilda

• Oz Dive • Diveline Club • Dive Industry Association Victoria (DIVA) • Mornington Environment Association Inc. • Friends of Pt. Lillas • Friends of Mentone Cliffs • Mt. Eliza Association for Environmental Care Inc. • Defenders of the SE Green Wedge • Gould St. Residents Frankston • Bayside Alliance • Friends of Darebin Creek • Mornington Peninsula Youth Enterprises • Rowan Woodlands - Dingley Village. • EcoVision • Nutrition Australia • Queenscliff Community Association • Rye Body Balance • Save Pt. Nepean • Moonee Ponds Community Association • Geelong Environment Council Inc. • The Central Highlands Alliance (TCHA) • Friends of Seaford Foreshore • Peninsula Field Naturalists Club • Australians for a Sustainable Future • Friends of the Weedy Seadragon • Sea- All Dolphin Swims Queenscliff