‘Clean bill of health’ for bay amid dredge

Alex de Vos
Port Phillip Bay’s health remained intact after the first 25 days of dredging, State Government said yesterday.
But the Bellarine Peninsula spokesperson for anti-dredge group Blue Wedges Coalition slammed the government’s environmental monitoring as a sham.
Environment Protection Authority’s Mick Bourke said turbidity in Port Phillip Bay was “safely” within operational guidelines and “below environmental limits”.
Mr Bourke said he was “satisfied” the dredging to deepen shipping channels had not damaged the bay’s health.
“The results show that after 25 days of dredging, turbidity remains at a safe level,” he said.
“The findings also provide confidence that data is regularly being collected and examined against the environmental standards and controls set out in the management plan, the rule book for the project.”
Mr Bourke said turbidity was measured at sites around the dredging activity to protect “important bay assets” such as seagrass, fish and seabirds.
“The weather over the past four weeks has been relatively benign but a change such as heavy rain or strong winds could naturally increase turbidity levels and this needs to be taken into consideration.”
Blues Wedges’ Catherine Jones said she didn’t trust the government.
“I don’t know how they can possibly say the turbidity levels are safe,” she said.
“The divers used to be able to see 12 metres down and now they can only see about half a metre through the water.
“It’s absolutely appalling.”
Ms Jones said the dredging had threatened the peninsula’s diving and boating industries.
“Some of our charter boats had cancellations from overseas bookings because of the dredging,” she said.
“The tiniest starfish in the world has been found in the bay – how is it going to survive the dredging?
“The diving industry will go broke.”
Ms Jones urged the government to tighten environmental regulations on the project.
Dredging supporters say the project is crucial to Victoria’s economy and thousands of jobs. Opponents fear it will unleash an environmental disaster on the bay and adjoining wetlands.