[Greens-Media] Ports minister's channel deepening celebrations are premature, Sue Pennicuik, MLC.

[susan.pennicuik at parliament.vic.gov.au]

Ports minister's channel deepening celebrations are premature

"Completion of 40% of the channel deepening project in Port Phillip Bay is
no cause for celebration", said Greens MP, Sue Pennicuik today.

"Minister Pallas may be congratulating himself that 40 per cent of the
project is complete and dredging at the Entrance to Port Phillip Bay is
finished, but many in the community do not feel the same way", said Ms
Pennicuik.

"Dredging another five metres of depth at the Entrance is totally
irresponsible. The damage done by dredging at the Entrance can't be
undone", she said.

"Although the government and the Port of Melbourne continue to deny it,
many experts have warned that the additional depth at the Entrance will
cause greater tidal ranges and beach erosion all around Port Phillip Bay.
If this happens, it can't be fixed", she said. "There is also the ongoing
erosion of the sea bed caused by loosened rocks rolling around in tides and
currents for years to come, and no government authority is monitoring what
is going on in this unique and sensitive underwater area of the Bay".

"And, on top of all that, the long-term effects of the millions of cubic
metre of toxic spoil that has been dumped in a mound in the middle of the
Bay are simply unknown, she said."

"Comments by the Minister that 'dredging is vital for Victoria', that
'Melbourne had risen from the 54th largest port in world to the 50th', that
'growth will continue, there is absolutely no doubt about that', and 'that
our projections show we'll see something like eight million TEU [shipping
containers] in 30 years'*, are sounding increasing hollow and unlikely in
the face of the world-wide financial crisis", she said.

"PoMC CEO, Stephen Bradford's comments that the '30 year project .. is
about bringing the sea highway to the world',** also ring very hollow when
we know that the 'dredged highway' is mainly for imports, which exceed
exports from the Port. In any case, Port Phillip Bay is much more to the
people of Victoria than a highway for ships", she said.

The recent upper house Inquiry into the economics of the project found that
the viability of the project is dependent upon a range of assumptions, one
of which is that world economic growth will remain buoyant over the next
five years. It also found that 40% of exports from the Port of Melbourne
are empty containers on their way to pick up more imports.

"The always shaky economic case is looking wobblier by the minute. No more
Victorians' money should be wasted on channel deepening. The Queen of the
Netherlands should be farewelled when it leaves next week and asked not to
return", she said.
* **AAP

For more information call Sue Pennicuik 0407 000 270



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