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Yesterday’s decision in the Frankston Magistrate’s court, dismissing charges against six protestors who paddled out to meet the Queen of the Netherlands last year shows that peaceful protest is not terrorism. 

 

Revelations today that the Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC) has failed to clean up after itself at The Heads is not surprising, nor was it a surprise that the Corporation was slow to reveal the facts on the issue.

 

On World Environment Day Brumby has achieved the dishonour of creating the only unlicensed toxic dump in Victoria – and it’s in Port Phillip Bay.

High levels of cancer causing PCB’s to be dug up soon

The Federal Court has decided that Mr. Garrett’s decision was legal. Not sensible, good or bad for the environment, just legal. But is the Bay OK?

Doctors warn us again about toxic threats from channel depeening

Doctors are calling on the Victorian Government to ensure that the toxins in the Yarra bed are not disturbed.

Recreational fisherman Trevor Buck says the claims that all is well in the bay are rubbish.

It bad enough that our Premier has insulted Adelaide residents, but how about his enthusiasm to insult AND poison Victorians?

Hundreds of people from Queenscliff to Portsea have just watched this unwelcome dredge the Queen of the Netherlands enter our Bay.

On the day that Boskalis dredge Queen of the Netherlands is due to arrive in Port Phillip Bay; Blue Wedges will file its Application to the Federal Court to have Minister Garrett’s decision stayed.

We are very concerned that the U.S. Naval intelligence agency has got it so terribly wrong and that they are even looking at us.

In the same week he approves the destruction of our Bay, Minister Garrett announces that Sydney's Bondi Beach will be added to the National Heritage List. Oh Dear.

“Hey Mr. Brumby - how about a nice fish brekkie on Morning TV?
We’ll choose the fish” says John Willis fisherman and Blue Wedges spokesperson.

If dredging was to start soon, what we might end up with is a toxic swill, not fit for anything except sailing a supertanker through.

Port Phillip and Hobson’s Bay have suddenly produced a wide range of very sick fish.
What is going on??

Mr. Garrett is getting all steamed up about plastic bags in our waterways but is quite happy to allow the Port of Melbourne Corporation to construct a huge toxic dump in our Bay

Channel deepening has turned into a huge white elephant. Costs are up 60% in only eight months, and channel deepening has turned toxic for the PoMC!

Blue Wedges Committee met today to consider legal advice in relation to Federal Court proceedings scheduled for 10^th and 11^th January 2008.

 

Federal Environment Minister Garrett has failed a critical test on internationally important wetlands and threatened species, and relegated our national environment laws to rubber stamp status.

Channel deepening approval by Environment Minister Gavin Jennings is scandalous. The paltry $100 million bond equals the value of only one day of exports through the Port. Is that how little our Bay is worth?

The Blue Wedges Coalition is fighting in court tomorrow (Wednesday 5th December) to keep the Boskalis dredge ship, Queen of the Netherlands from beginning work on the channel deepening project early next year.

 

 

The first round in the legal battle to save Port Phillip Bay begins next Wednesday 5^th December in Melbourne’s Federal Court and it is now Peter Garrett that Blue Wedges will be taking to court.

Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA) and the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) swing into action to save Port Phillip Bay's 115 reef species found nowhere else on earth!

See article and Youtube footage

The Chloë McCardel long distance swim (approx 50km) is planned for October 28th starting at 5am from Mornington pier to West beach (just North of St Kilda Pier).

“Blue Wedges congratulates Premier Bracks and Minister Thwaites for their decision to move on and climb out of the mire surrounding the deadly channel deepening project before it is too late. They have done well to save themselves from the poisonous plume emanating from the project” says spokesperson Jenny Warfe. Good on you fellas!  

 

Business leaders are way off the money with their threats that consumers will suffer increased costs if channel deepening does not proceed” says Blue Wedges spokesperson Jenny Warfe.

SMALL NUMBERS YIELD BIG SHOCKS. Will Channel Deepening make us sick?  Press conference 1pm Monday 16th July outside Planning Panels Victoria 8 Nicholson St. East Melbourne

 

 

INNER CITY BEACHES RISK CLOSURE THIS SUMMER BECAUSE OF CHANNEL DEEPENING

Typical tactic of the Port Corporation, says Jenny Warfe, spokesperson for Blue Wedges Coalition. Even before the Channel Deepening Inquiry has heard all the evidence, and before state and federal governments have assessed the Inquiry’s report, the PoMC says it is going ahead with bookings for the dredges, steel and concrete to cover the Hobson’s Bay Sewer crossing under the Yarra, and booking venues etc.

 

The Port Corporation has told the Channel Deepening Inquiry today (6^th July) that it has hired the dredge and commenced other commercial arrangements to secure office venues etc. in anticipation of beginning the dredging works!

The Channel Deepening Public Inquiry is today considering the Environment Management Plan (EMP) proposed for the Channel Deepening project (Friday, July 6^th) however Blue Wedges has advised the Inquiry that it will not participate in the “discussions”.

 

Boskalis experts from Port of Melbourne Corporation’s dredging alliance partner claim they have never breached any environmental thresholds. Hang on.......Remember the rockfall……and what about recent warnings about the safety record of Boskalis? 

Week One of the Channel Deepening Inquiry has drawn to a close with the public no nearer to understanding what its role is in this “Public” Inquiry. Bracks and Madden have payed lip service to public consultation in their cynical manipulation of the Terms of Reference which have turned the Inquiry into a farce. 

 

 

On Monday morning, June 18th, a pair of penguins and their friends and supporters will gather outside the offices of the Department of Sustainability and Environment with the intention of pooing on the Planning Minister, Justin Madden.

 

 

Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC) is continuing to gather evidence for the Supplementary Environment Effects Statement (SEES) on its proposed channel deepening project even though the SEES submision period has closed. 

Planning Minister Madden said in Parliament on 2nd May that the SEES left no stone unturned......well that's a bit different to what the Independent Expert Group thinks in their recently released 40 page report. 

 

 

Port of Melbourne Corporation's current round of 'information sessions' are a giant flop with more staff than public in attendance.

The Port of Melbourne Corporation’s Supplementary Environmental Effects Statement (SEES) summary document is inadequate and misleading, and should not be relied upon to form a view about their proposed Channel Deepening project.

Writer and broadcaster Tracee Hutchison has dredged up some alarming facts about the Port's Plans and the newly appointed Independent Panel.

PoMC's secret is out - they want an even bigger Queen in the Bay!

The much awaited SEES has finally hit the decks, and the decks are awash with salty tales so spongy you could drive a dredge through them! 

Outmoded, controversial plans to undertake the biggest dredging project ever seen in Australia are no nearer being completed than they have ever been in spite of the imminent SEES. Recent media reports are nothing more than the usual business hype which has accompanied the proposal for years. In reality the project is no nearer being started than it was 5 years ago - and it certainly has far less community support.

 

The recent EPA report into contamination levels in fish caught in the lower Yarra and Maribyrnong rivers is confusing, but what is clear is that allowing the Port of Melbourne Corporation to stir up more toxicants from the Yarra River bed would only worsen an already sorry situation.  

 

PORT PHILLIP BAY CAMPAIGNERS DEMAND ENVIRONMENTAL BOND FROM PORT CORPORATION

The recent grounding of the stricken container vessel MSC Napoli off the World Heritage listed UK’s Devon coastline is a potent reminder of what could easily go wrong with shipping in Australia’s sensitive and highly valuable waterways such as Port Phillip warn Blue Wedges campaigners   

Congratulations to the Bracks government for dumping the idea of a toxic waste dump in Nowingi! Having done the right thing by the people of Mildura, it's time for Mr. Bracks to intervene in the controversial channel deepening proposal to ensure that we don’t end up with a toxic dump in the middle of Port Phillip Bay just so a few bigger ships can squeeze into the river port of Melbourne

In a move designed to sway the states recreational angler’s votes Steve Bracks has promised to eliminate all commercial fish netting from Westernport Bay. Big deal.

This giant red herring is a ploy to win back recreational anglers’ votes in exchange for their acceptance of the much more threatening Port Phillip Bay Channel Deepening Project. State Government has tried hard to keep dredging off the election agenda so moves to ban commercial netting from Westernport should be viewed for what it is - pulling the wool over recreational fishermen’s eyes – because it surely won’t achieve much else!

The Blue Wedges survey of all electorates has thrown up some interesting information about who really cares about the Bay and how it might be affected if the contentious channel deepening project was to proceed.

Environment Minister Mr. Thwaites is to be commended for his announcement yesterday (November 9^th) at Mordialloc pier to re-nourish the depleted sands of the Mordialloc beach – but where’s the sense in saving the beach whilst contemplating a toxic dump just off shore?  

If the contentious channel deepening proposal was to proceed, up to 3 million tonnes of toxic and contaminated spoil would be dumped in the Bay close to Mordialloc – making a trip to the beach a risky outing.

Business Age Tuesday 24th October 2006

MOVING freight to and from northern ports by rail makes sense, economically and environmentally. It seems that private investors agree there is a practical alternative to the State Government's Port Phillip Bay channel-deepening proposal.

The up-coming election is focussing voters’ attention on what sitting members and candidates really do think about the government’s channel deepening proposal, so Blue Wedges thought it might be interesting to review what Labour government MP's have had to say on the matter in the last three years.

 

Blue Wedges supporters around the Bay kept the pressure on Mr. Bracks and his entourage yesterday as they cycled around Port Phillip Bay. Mr. Bracks and thousands of other riders got the clear message that the state government’s channel deepening proposal which includes dumping up to 3 million tonnes of contaminated and toxic sediment within the Bay just must not happen.

A sunny Saturday morning in Seaford opposite the beautiful Seaford foreshore – what better place to spread the message that we want our Bay to be protected from destructive practices such as Channel Deepening?

State government’s recently released Port Development Plan has certainly raised concerns from a broad range of stakeholders. Mr Lindsay Fox has launched an attack on the Bracks Government’s draft Plan, criticising channel deepening and plans to upgrade the Port of Melbourne.

Congratulations to the EPA on alerting the community to what is so obvious about the Bracks government’s channel deepening project – it will be an environmental disaster - Not to mention an economic lemon!

“State government’s vision for Melbourne is just more of the same” says Jenny Warfe, spokesperson for the Blue Wedges Coalition. “If current trends continue, the predicted doubling of trade by 2035 means more congestion, more imports and less Aussie jobs.”

The current market site is needed to extend Swanson Dock to accommodate larger ships. If government was really committed to more efficient handling of freight by rail they would spend the money currently ear-marked for channel deepening on improving interstate rail links.

Why won't the Bracks government talk about the economics of channel deepening?

With the state election approaching, it's time to demand the Bracks government justify its economic assertions about the need for the current channel deepening proposal before we accidentally consent at the ballot box to another budget blow-out and a potential environmental disaster. 

Young artists from around the state are exhibiting their works with the theme: ‘Wild about Port Phillip Bay’ at Mordialloc Motor Yacht Club commencing Friday 25^th August to Thursday 31^st August. The exhibition is the culmination of a state-wide art competition for primary and secondary schools throughout Victoria, also showing at the Gasworks Park Hall Gallery Albert Park from Tuesday 5^th September to Sunday 24^th September. Many works depict childrens' concerns about channel deepening in Port Phillip Bay

Blue Wedges spokesperson Jenny Warfe says: “Congratulations go to Mr. Bracks for not allocating any funds in next year’s budget to channel deepening. Delaying the channel deepening project so far has shown us that we don’t need to squeeze in even bigger ships with even more stuff from overseas for us to buy.

Why have farmers been tricked into believing that a bigger hole in the Bay, allowing bigger ships in with even more boxes of imported fruit and vegetables will be a winner for them and us?

On 4^th January this year, we only narrowly escaped a major oil spill at Port Phillip Heads – a scenario Capt. Hart, retired Harbour Master and expert witness at the Independent Panel Hearing into channel deepening has been warning of since the Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC) first announced its intention to bring even bigger oil tankers and container vessels into Port Phillip Bay.