Diving closure ‘a joke’

MICHELLE HERBISON
PARKS Victoria’s closure of the region’s premier dive site has “become a joke”, according to an industry operator.
Dive Victoria manager Jason Salter said Ocean Grove’s HMAS Canberra had been safe for months.
Parks Victoria closed the site after part of the ship broke away about three months ago.
Mr Salter said he reported the safety issue after noticing a helicopter hangar wall dangling from the ship but the next storm knocked it to the seabed, removing the safety risk.
“The site fixed itself but a week later they closed it with no consultation to industry,” Mr Salter said.
“It’s the safest and best-prepared wreck out of the 50 sitting off the coast here.
“The interest to divers is the twists and tangles of the wreck and the fallen hanger wall just adds another element of interest.”
Mr Salter said he had seen no one carrying out any work on the ship.
Recreational divers were still visiting the site “illegally”, he said.
Mr Salter urged Parks Victoria to reopen the site to divers immediately.
His company was losing money after paying “tens of thousands of dollars” for access rights.
“Some people have definitely chosen not to dive because they couldn’t get to the Canberra. It’s been a very frustrating period for us.
“We’ve invested millions of dollars in new boats, put on more employees to cope with the extra demand and set up new sites and centres and at the moment all that infrastructure can’t be used.”
State Government scuttled the Canberra off Ocean Grove for diving in late 2009.
Mr Salter said the closure had halted the site’s primary aim of encouraging interstate and international tourism.
A Parks Victoria spokesman said the department would reopen the site as soon as possible but was awaiting recommendations from a diving engineers’ review.
“We’re concerned now because it’s starting to come into popular diving season,” he said.
“We’d much rather have it open than not.”
The spokesman said Parks Victoria was initially unconcerned about the impact of the closure on interstate and international tourism because the site was closed in the off-peak winter season.
“The only reason it is closed is public safety. Sheets of metal coming off can create dangerous conditions.
“We’re expecting to announce an opening time in the not-too-distant future.”