Port Phillip Bay dredging confirmed

[Noel Tudball]

Port Phillip Bay.jpg (37.91 KiB) Viewed 24575 times

If the proposed 70 year lease of the Port of Melbourne or the development of Bay West (Geelong) go ahead, further dredging and blasting of Port Phillip Bay Heads will be inevitable. The original dredging was supposed to be a short-term fix while other avenues were explored. It has caused unforeseen damage to Mornington Peninsula beaches. How far would the damage extend if a further 2-3 metres were added to the depth of the channel? Let’s make sure it doesn’t happen by supporting any community action against future dredging.

Portland, a natural deep harbour, was excluded from past deliberations because of the poor maintenance of our country railways. Would it not be better to put the money needed for dredging towards the long overdue upgrade of our VicRail infrastructure – with the added bonus of another decentralization project to move jobs away from Melbourne to regional Victoria.

Here are some recent and earlier articles related to dredging and Ports.


July 2015 - Frankston City Council lobbies against port plans
http://baysidenews.com.au/2015/07/13/frankston-lobbies-against-port-plans/


July 2015 - Mornington Peninsula Shire Councillors have called for an urgent meeting with the state government to discuss their plans for the future development of the Port of Hastings and a long-term lease of the Port of Melbourne
http://www.mornpen.vic.gov.au/Whats_On/News/Council_seeks_urgent_meeting_with_state_government_over_Port_of_Hastings_future


July 2015 - Dredging threat to Port Phillip Heads
http://divevic.com.au/about/news-and-media-releases/article/16/dredging-threat-to-port-phillip-heads.html


July 2015 - MPs play footy with the bay
http://mpnews.com.au/2015/07/13/mps-play-footy-with-the-bay/


June 2015 - Victorian Government refuses to rule out blasting the Port Phillip Bay heads to allow bigger ships through
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jun/26/greg-hunt-says-plans-to-lease-port-of-melbourne-environmental-vandalism


June 2015 - State government rejects claim port lease will lead to environmental damage
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/state-government-rejects-claim-port-lease-will-lead-to-environmental-damage/


May 2015 - Leasing the Port of Melbourne
http://www.dtf.vic.gov.au/Infrastructure-Delivery/Leasing-the-Port-of-Melbourne


2014 - Bay West - Geelong
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/dredging-blow-to-port-plan-20140409-36djo.html
...... risking ''sea level rises in the bay (at least two centimetres)" ...
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/labor-floats-plan-for-giant-pier-out-into-port-phillip-in-its-bay-west-port-plan-20140730-zy7u5.html


November, 2014 - Minor dredging needed for Hastings port expansion, study finds
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/victoria-state-election-2014/minor-dredging-needed-for-hastings-port-expansion-study-finds-20141127-11ugjy.html


July 2013 - Beach loss linked to dredging
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/beach-loss-linked-to-dredging-20130706-2pj8b.html


2009 report - Contaminated sites - bund off Mordialloc
Heavy metals and contaminants were shifted from the Yarra mouth near Newport to a dumping zone off Mordialloc without major incident. Investigators found the dumping zone - known as a bund - was constructed properly, effectively sandwiching the contaminants between layers of clean sand on the bay floor. Experts say ongoing monitoring of the bund's stability will be needed.

Not nice to have the contaminated rubbish so close to Seaford. One wonders if it is being monitored and what will happen if it does leak.
Wonder where the next dumping site will be?
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/after-the-dredging-20090923-g2p1.html#ixzz3fqkioFIh
http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/forestry-and-land-use/coasts/marine/bays-inlets-estuaries-and-lakes/port-phillip-bay
http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/our-work/monitoring-the-environment/monitoring-port-phillip-bay


2009 revisited
http://www.theage.com.au/multimedia/dredge/main.html


Channel deepening Port Phillip Bay Blue Wedges Home against the dredge
Have you been to Portsea recently?
http://www.bluewedges.org.au/


The Liberal Party is against dredging
http://www.savethebay.com.au/


A student's dredging article
http://blogs.toorakcollege.vic.edu.au/katec1/tag/dredging/


Seaford Foreshore Erosion
http://www.seafordcc.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=152


(Click on images to view & close)

[Noel Tudball]

Call for ‘urgent’ talks over port’s future

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire is calling for an “urgent meeting” with the state government over the effects of its plans to lease the Port of Melbourne.

Under the terms of the lease being considered by the government, it will promise not to allow another competitive port to be built for at least 50 years, effectively ending plans for a container port at Hastings.

Instead, the government wants Hastings to be used as a “bulk” port, adding processed brown coal to the existing trade in petroleum products and natural gas.

The call for talks by the shire comes after similar concerns raised by Frankston Council.

Bass, too, is writing to the government, to stress its opposition to expansion of the port at Hastings.

http://baysidenews.com.au/2015/07/20/call-for-urgent-talks-over-ports-future/

[Noel Tudball]

Deepening of Port Phillip Bay has been confirmed following the Victorian Govt's plan to lease the Port of Melbourne for 50-70 years, to the exclusion of the Port of Hastings which is a natural deep water port.

Pages 39 to 45 of the attached report are essential reading for Bayside residents and Councils. The tidal surges along Kananook Creek and Mordialloc Creek is already a problem with residences inundated after bad weather.

Browse the posts above for other news and information.
Portsea residents must be concerned.