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The Age letter challenges some of the ongoing, but poorly substantiated assertions made by the PoMC regarding the numbers of current and future ships which might be constrained by channel depth. If viewing the article today (Friday 2nd March) use the following link: http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/deeper-look-at-bay-plans-is-needed/2007/03/01/1172338795654.html  After 2nd March the article can be accessed via the 8 day free archive at http://newsstore.theage.com.au/apps/newsSearch.ac?/index.html

And so to Westernport Bay........ Westernport Action Group (WAG) members are continuing their efforts to raise awareness of the current Port of Hastings Land Use and Transport Strategy. The recently released strategy document includes a proposal for the Port of Hastings to handle 3.7 million containers per annum by 2035, as well as 640,000 motor vehicles and 7.3 million tonnes of break bulk cargo. Extensive road and rail corridors emanating from the port are also proposed. Presently, property owners in adjacent areas are faced with acquisition overlays on their homes and farms. This huge expansion is in addition to the Port of Melbourne Corporation’s present plans to deepen channels in Port Phillip Bay and the Yarra River to cater for expected (but again poorly justified numbers of) deeper draught vessels and to be handling over 7 million containers per annum by 2035 and even larger volumes of cars and break bulk.

By 2035, if these plans were successfully implemented and the growth scenarios they are predicated on came to pass, the two Victorian ports of Hastings and Melbourne would be handling more than all the container ports of the UK currently handle, with its current population of over 60 million! If you share concerns about the ongoing demands being placed on our fragile and irreplaceable coastal assets, join WAG on their PEACEFUL MARCH TO PARLIAMENT HOUSE TUESDAY 13th MARCH 2007

Meet at Flinders St. Station at 11.00 am for a slow mock funeral procession for Westernport Bay to the steps of Parliament followed by prayers for Democracy. Please wear Black

For more information visit WAG at http://au.geocities.com/westernportactiongroup/

All these expansion plans leads one to contemplate the numbers of shipping containers presently being moved around the world  - it's staggering - not to mention some of the products being moved therein, as recently revealed when hundreds of containers broke apart on the shores of Devon UK when MSC Napoli was deliberately run aground in the World Heritage Jurassic Coastline region - and there she remains to date. Contents ranging from luxury Mercedes and BMW motor bikes to toxic battery acid and disposable nappies were washed ashore. It makes you wonder about the logic of burning huge amounts of fossil fuels to move some items which could be readily produced in our own country (and often were until recently). What is more, modern port operations and shipping employ very few people. Up to 10,000 containers per year are lost overboard, creating hazards for other ships and sailing vessels, as well as adverse environmental impacts from contents spilling into our oceans and Bays. The following recent article from the UK Guardian Weekly critically examines these issues.  See: http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianweekly/story/0,,2007805,00.html

Meanwhile, the PoMC is getting on with the business of promoting its upcoming Channel Deepening Supplementary EES, having recently advertised for a Stakeholder Relations Manager. The Supplementary EES document is still under wraps at this stage and we are not sure of its arrival date. In November last year, PoMC suggested January would be a likely arrival time. Clearly this has not happened, and now most recent indications in the press suggest that it might be here by the end of March. We understand that it is 12,000 pages in length, compared to the 7,000 or so pages of the first EES. We trust the public submission period will be correspondingly longer than the inadequate time allocated for reading and assimilating the dense first EES of 7,000 pages. An Independent Panel process will follow. It is interesting to note that the Financial Review of 16th February reports that the PoMC expects approval of their plans and predict works will start in 2008. We will keep you informed.  

Cheers from Blue Wedges Editor and team