Dredge start off peninsula

Alex de Vos
Dredging of shipping channels will start off the Bellarine Peninsula in the next few days after Port of Melbourne Corporation won court approval yesterday to begin work on the controversial project.
The corporation expected to begin dredging today or tomorrow in Port Phillip Bay’s south channel after implementing the court’s new environmental management requirements.
The court’s approval followed a day of mediation between the corporation and anti-dredging organisation Blue Wedges Coalition.
The court allowed the corporation to dredge one million cubic metres in an eight-kilometre stretch of the southern channel.
The corporation had wanted to start dredging at the northern end of the bay where protesters fear the project would dislodge toxic sediment.
Blue Wedges president Jenny Warfe said the court outcome was a “victory”.
The group had not wanted dredging to begin before another court hearing on February 20 but was “pleased” with the delay, she said.
“We’ve delayed dredging, if not stopped a toxic dump in the north of the bay,” Ms Warfe said
“This is the best outcome that could have happened on the day.”
Ms Warfe said the fight to save the bay was not over.
“We want to spend the next two weeks making sure people understand how important this issue is by continuing to keep up the pressure and the public campaign on the issue,” she said.
The corporation wants to dredge channels so new ships with deeper hulls can navigate the bay. The corporation claims billions of dollars in trade and thousands of jobs depend on the project.
Objectors fear the project will unleash an environmental disaster.