Earthcare News

CHANNEL DEEPENING EDITION
January 2005

PROTECTING OUR PRECIOUS ENVIRONMENT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.

The decision-makers now need to have a clear, detached look at the environmental facts before them. They will see that the project cannot "be achieved in an environmentally responsible way" and so must not be allowed to go ahead.

First they need to acknowledge that the Environmental Effects Statement (EES) is fundamentally flawed. The Port of Melbourne Corporation and the Labor Government, who are both in favor of the channel deepening, paid for the Environmental Effects Statement. This kind of funding structure is well known to inevitably bias results.

Consultants and editors frequently interpret 'study findings' with a bias towards results that the funding body likes to hear. Less palatable information tends to be glossed over or simply not mentioned. The government needs to read the EES with this in mind. It needs to look beyond the editorial summaries to the hard environmental facts. Then it will see a very different picture:

The proposed channel deepening is massive in its scale. It involves the removal of forty million cubic metres of sand, clay and rock from the seabed and ongoing dredging operations. This will inevitably increase the turbidity (murkiness) of the water over significant areas of the Bay. Light will not be able to penetrate through murky water. Aquatic plants (the basis of the food chain) that rely on light will die. Animals that depend on these plants will slowly starve to death.

Tim Holding argues that the resultant turbidity will be "temporary". We are talking years of turbidity. "Temporary" can be long enough to irreversibly alter ecosystems. Furthermore there is no end in sight to the turbidity caused by maintenance dredging.

As little penguins are near the top of the food chain, they are a key "indicator" species for the Bay. Their fate is representative of the fate of the ecosystem as a whole. The project will weaken the Phillip Island penguin colony as a significant number of Phillip Island penguins feed in Port Phillip Bay during winter to attain breeding condition.
Earthcare St Kilda has studied the St Kilda penguin colony for the past 18 years and found the colony to increase from 60 birds to 540. On the basis of ongoing research, Earthcare concludes that the St Kilda Penguin colony would be decimated if the channel deepening proposal proceeds. The colony relies on anchovies as its major food source. These fish will be badly impacted by the project, as their spawning area is right in the path of the dredge. Anchovy breeding will be interrupted over at least two years. Little penguins also rely on good visibility to hunt successfully (1). If they can't see where they are going they can't catch fish.

If the penguins don't starve to death they may be poisoned to death. Toxins and heavy metals are also a major concern. Toxic sediments, in excess of three million tonnes will be disturbed by the dredge. The toxins released will include lead, mercury, TBT and DDT (2). Marine animals accumulate these toxins and pass them up the food chain.

The bay currently processes the nutrients discharged from the Werribee sewerage treatment plant, and stormwater run-off from the Yarra River. The capacity of the bay to handle these nutrients will be disrupted by the project. The increased nutrient levels will risk toxic algal blooms. It was with this in mind that CSIRO "categorically recommended that dredging be minimized" (2).

If the penguins are not starved or poisoned to death, then an oil spill will make certain their fate. The passage through the Port Phillip Heads, with its "high turbulent flow with large eddies" (3) is a difficult and dangerous one. If ships with a draught over 12 metres are allowed through, the risk of ships running aground will increase significantly. In their own computer modelling the Port of Melbourne Corporation had 10% of its ships running aground (4). Were an oil tanker to run aground at the Port Phillip Heads, the consequent oil-spill would be an environmental, economic and social disaster.

"Cause of death" is commonly assigned to one particular reason. But it is generally understood that a combination of debilitating circumstances often contribute to the demise of an animal, an ecosystem, a lifestyle, or even a government.

Today Victorians are relaxing at beaches around Port Phillip Bay. The St Kilda penguin colony is thriving and fishermen are able to safely eat or sell their catch. Medium sized ships can pass safely through the heads and contribute to a thriving Victorian economy.

If the proposed channel deepening goes ahead, Port Phillip Bay might present a very different picture: beaches closed due to toxic algal blooms. Penguins belly up on the beach. The remaining fish no longer safe to eat. The sea coated in oil and The Heads a ship's graveyard. You and I, and the Victorian economy any better off? I doubt it.

Any project that risks this kind of environmental devastation cannot be considered "environmentally responsible". Alternatives must be reconsidered.

Jo Samuel-King
Earthcare St Kilda

1: Blake, N, Response to the PPB Channel deepening EES, 2004,

2: Harris G, CSIRO Port Phillip Bay Environmental Study, 1996

3. The Age, Fyfe M.

RED ALERT

Earthcare Meeting
Thursday 27th January
7.30pm Port Phillip EcoCentre
Corner Blessington and Herbert Streets St Kilda
Channel Deepening of Port Phillip Bay
Special problems at the Yarra Mouth
Find out who to lobby and what other measures are being taken by concerned individuals.

Please get as many signatures as you can on the petition and return it to Earthcare by 4th February
Come to the EcoFair on February 6, help inform the public about the problems with Channel Deepening
Be at the Blessington St Festival on 12 February
Join the protest on Sunday 13th February 10am at Williamstown Rd Webb Dock
keep up to date with the latest information on these web sites
www.bluewedges.org
www.dredgebaynomore.net/

A Current Affair has agreed to cover the story!! For those of you who don't know about it, I have attached a copy of my press release. I have also sent press releases to The Age, the Herald Sun and Melbourne Weekly magazine.

I have an urgent request... I need more pregnant women to participate to have this project go ahead (about 40 would be great). I have had many women interested, but they are all about to give birth!!!!
So, if you know a pregnant woman, or you know anyone who might know pregnant women (eg a midwife), please pass my details on to them. Also, if you know someone who might want to participate in some way who is not pregnant right now, please also pass my details on to them.

The first of two swims is happening on Feb 9th (a wednesday) in the morning. If you know any pregnant women (who are not more than 6 months pregnant right now) please please please tell them about the project and give them my email address or phone number and ask them to contact me asap.

Here's what they need to know:

They need to nominate a date: Feb 9th or March 13th. If they come on Feb 9th, they'll be on "A Current Affair"!)
It's happening in Sorrento, Victoria
They need to raise $200 in sponsorship to participate for free, and they would need to pay a deposit up front of $50 (which they can then take out of the sponsorship money they raise).
All money raised will be donated to Blue Wedges Coalition (if you're not familiar with them, check out their website at www.bluewedges.org) to protest against the Dredging project.
They need to email me or call Kirsten Surch right away to book their seat.

Thank you all for your support!
Contact: Kirsten Surch, ksurch@bigpond.net.au (03) 9553 5863, Mobile: 0425 858 131

Save Our Bay: Connecting Mammas with Mammals!
Sorrento, Victoria -
Kirsten Surch, a wife and mother, is arranging for pregnant women to go swimming with Wild Dolphins in Port Phillip Bay. These events are intended to raise funds and public awareness of the environmental risks associated with the Victorian State Government's proposed deepening of the shipping channels in Port Phillip Bay. The events are to be held on Wednesday February 9th and Sunday March 13th 2005. Surch created the project while participating in a Landmark Education leadership program. Part of the coursework was to create a project that benefits the community (www.landmarkeducation.com).
Why was this project created?
"As a woman who swam with dolphins during my 7th month of pregnancy, I want to make this unique opportunity available to other women and I want to take a stand for future generations who may wish to do the same. The most extraordinary part of my experience was that the dolphins were attracted to me because I was pregnant! I have never before felt so connected with another species."
Background - The event is being made possible by Polperro Dolphin Swims, Sorrento.
For more information, call (03) 9553 5863

PORT PHILLIP BAY CHANNEL DEEPENING.

WHAT IN IT FOR YOU? - "IT'S IMMEASURABLY MINOR!"

The Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC) is asking Victorians to sanction a range of environmental, social and economic risks, so that just some of the world's supersized container vessels and larger oil tankers can enter the Bay fully loaded.

The Southern waters of Australia, including Port Phillip Bay has the highest diversity of marine species anywhere in the world. 90% of species occur NOWHERE else on earth! Many of those species have not even been fully studied - and yet, before we understand our beautiful local underwater world, we might lose it.

Scope of the Channel Deepening Proposal:

40 + million cubic metres (40,000,000 tonnes) of sand, silt from the sea bed of Port Phillip Bay and the Yarra River, and rock removal by intense hydro-hammering from the The Rip. Noise levels still not available for hydrohammer.
relocated to huge new spoil dumping grounds within the Bay - 7.5 sq. Km site off Mornington and extension of an existing spoil ground Sth. of Brighton where 10+ million tonnes, including upwards of 3 million tonnes of contaminated spoil from the Yarra Bed will be dumped - some highly toxic.
At least 2 years duration - up to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - noise, lights etc.
source of turbidity & sedimentation levels never before experienced in the Bay
lowering of some essential services under Yarra near Westgate Bridge ($$ million taxpayer funded) so supersized ships can access the River as far as Bolte Bridge BUT Sewer will NOT be lowered, some ships will have to be "tugged" over the main, only 80 cms below - grounding or anchor strike could cause raw sewerage to enter Yarra River
Re-location of Footscray Markets ($300 million - taxpayer funded, and Footscray Rd - uncosted), so Swanson Dock and storage facilities can be extended

What is at stake? ... The EES acknowledges that the variety and interdependence of the 5000 species in the Bay is not yet fully understood. This lack of knowledge poses the greatest threat to the marine ecosystem of Port Phillip Bay.

Here are some of the serious threats:

Increased turbidity - Death of species reliant on sight for location of food: some fish, dolphins, seals, penguins, etc.
Death of seagrass, kelp and seaweed from lack of light. These plants provide essential habitat for a range of species
Loss of coastal stability, and consequent erosion - seagrasses stabilise sea beds
Re-suspension of nutrients, pollutants: pesticides, insecticides, and other industrial contaminants, and heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury, and lead from the Yarra sediments would re-enter the foodchain
Reduced primary production from phyto- and zooplankton - less food source for higher order species
Death by smothering of sedentary organisms, or those with a limited range - some fish, sponges, corals and seagrasses etc. as turbidity settles out.
Death of bay floor organisms responsible for maintaining the Nitrogen balance in the Bay, leading to:
Toxic algal blooms: Pea green water, stinky corners - $$$ to partially rectify - Dr. Graham Harris CSIRO Fellow advises that once the balance has been tipped no amount of rehabilitation will completely restore the Bay to its former condition...
Drastically compromised water quality - $$$ to build new treatment plants
Regulation? . EPA will audit the project, however ongoing Environmental Management will be via a "self-regulation" model - an alliance between the PoMC and Royal Boskalis - a Dutch private dredging company with no assets in Australia. Do we trust our Bay will be optimally managed via self-regulation?
The EPA publicly stated in September 2004 that it was not confident that the proposed Environmental Management Plan (EMP) would adequately protect the Bay. The EMP is still not complete, and not all baseline studies have been completed, and yet the PoMC intends to commence dredging in March 2005!

This project is purely about moving boxes around the Nation

It is a logistics puzzle, not complex science and
Melbourne Port will always be physically limited by the Yarra and Bay depths and Melbourne itself - this proposal is not a sustainable solution!
Predicated on continued growth of trade, particularly imports- Pricewaterhouse Coopers forecast that container trade will quadruple by 2030 regardless of whether channel deepening proceeds
More container throughput has meant greater mechanisation and LOSS of waterside jobs here and in other countries.

So - What is the alternative?

Presently, only 30% of ships cannot fully load - but 70% can! Supersized ships could offload their excess at an existing NATURAL deepwater port -Brisbane, Sydney, Fremantle, Darwin - all connected to the National standard gauge rail
Funds for the channel deepening project could be allocated to a joint States project (a la Murray River) further upgrading the national rail grid in a NATION building exercise - creating more sustainable jobs in regional areas as well
Melbourne could change its marketing focus to become the premier port for medium sized shipping to Australia
These supersized vessels cannot fit into the Panama Canal either! - USA has responded by triplicating/quadrupling rail tracks across the Nation - and its working - providing an efficient service - a faster cost effective alternative to shipping, especially for high value goods.
The Panel Hearing revealed that 14 m draft vessels will STILL be tide restricted at The Heads, and in the Yarra River, requiring tide assistance to safely enter The Rip, and tide and tugs to safely enter berths in port. WHAT will we have gained from this expensive, environmentally threatening exercise?

What can we do? And can the Federal Government assist?

YES! The project has been referred to the Federal Government under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, due to matters of National significance: Marine Parks, RAMSAR sites and Commonwealth land (Pt. Nepean and Pt. Wilson) around the Bay. The Federal Government is the final arbiter - so to protect our No. 1 public asset, the Federal government must invoke its undoubted powers under the EPBC Act to ensure this destruction does not occur! Write now to the Federal Environment Minister Sen. Ian Campbell -see formletter on website below.

Use the above information to also write to Premier Steve Bracks, Ministers Peter Batchelor (Ports), John Thwaites (Environment), Mary Delahunty (Planning) firstname.surname@parliament.vic.gov.au and your local state & federal MP's.
For more information and formletters; www.bluewedges.org

Enjoy a walk in West Gate Park with Neil Blake
Sunday January 23rd 5.00pm
Bring your camera and enter the photographic competition
Meet in the car park

THIS MORNING

This morning I walked along St Kilda Pier, the water was calm and clear and I could see shoals of tiny fish, other larger fish, a pipe fish and a sting ray in the sea grass beds. Out beyond the breakwater dolphins were playing, and tiny penguin chicks were hidden in the rocks protected by their parents.
How much longer will this idyllic scene be accessible?
When the Channel Deepening begins we will have at least two years of murky water, the penguins will not breed they will be hungry as there will be little or no anchovies spawning in the Yarra. The dolphins will not be chasing the larger fish and the smaller fish will be undetectable in the dredging plumes.
The situation could well last beyond the initial dredging timetable due to currents in the Northern end of the bay and the vagaries of the weather.
Please don't let this happen.
Zoe Hogg