Damage warning for peninsula pipe plans

Andrew Mathieson
A PIPELINE under Corio Bay could run the risk of damage from ships dropping anchor.
Victorian Regional Channels Authority has warned developers of the dangers of building a 10 kilometre pipeline on the bay’s floor.
Bellarine Infrastructure Group plans to pipe Melbourne wastewater from Werribee’s Western Treatment Plant to drought-affected industries on the peninsula.
Channels authority chief executive Peter McGovern said five-tonne anch-ors dropped in emergencies could “dig” further than intended into the 12.3-metre deep channel floor.
Most flukes on anchors were eight-metres long, he said.
“We’d have to protect any pipelines or raw sewerage lines on the bottom of the bay from any ships going over them.
“If something that’s heavy drops to the bottom and digs in, then (the pipe) would have to be buried deep and protected.”
Mr McGovern said gas pipelines were usually safeguarded against ships with warning signals on nautical charts.
Bellarine Infrastructure Group’s Dan Kolomanski had sought advice from Victorian Regional Channels Authority before committing to pipe up to 50 billion litres of water a year west of Portarlington.
Mr Kolomanski told the Independent last week that talks had provided “geo-technical and hydrographic data” to confirm the pipeline’s feasibility.
“He really came to see from our point of view what problems, if any, that he obviously may encounter,” Mr McGovern said.
The impact from deepening the channels to fit a pipeline was also a concern, he said.
Department of Sustainability and the Environmental Protection Authority would have to give approval against any effects of pollution.
Mr McGovern said the channel authority would be restricted to providing advice on navigational issues for the proposed pipeline.
“Our business is to make sure that Geelong’s port is available, both safely and efficiently, for all the ships that want to use it,” he said.