ENVIRONMENT GROUPS RELEASE SECOND JOINT STATEMENT

On Monday 1st October a Joint Statement was released by a number of environment groups. It called on the Victorian State Government to stop the channel deepening project proposed for Port Phillip Bay.
On Monday 1st October a Joint Statement was released by a number of environment groups. It called on the Victorian State Government to stop the channel deepening project proposed for Port Phillip Bay.

The joint statement was sent to all State politicians, accompanied by a brochure outlining problems with the project.

This is the second joint statement by environment groups on the proposed channel deepening project. The first joint statement was signed in March 2005 following the report of the Independent Planning Panel which found 138 unresolved issues in the Environment Effects Statement (EES).

Signatories to the second joint statement include Blue Wedges Coalition, Victorian National Parks Association, Australian Conservation Foundation, Friends of the Earth, The Wilderness Society, Environment Victoria, Port Phillip Conservation Council and Western Region Environment Centre.

“There is widespread community opposition to the channel deepening proposal, and that is reflected in the universal opposition of environment groups. commercial and amateur fisheries, coastal and Yarra river tourism, coastal shopping businesses, the dive industry, and other recreational and leisure industries are also opposed to the project” commented Neil Blake, Coordinator of Port Philip EcoCentre and Blue Wedges committee member. “There have been two public inquiries, showing that there are serious environmental problems and no need for the project.”
 
The Supplementary Environmental Effects Statement (SEES) Inquiry Report on channel deepening arrived on Planning Minister Justin Madden’s desk on the same day. Madden has 25 business days to make a decision on the project.

Read the Second Joint Statement.


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