Down at the local Angling club talking to fishermen about the proposed port expansion and the dredging impact on fish stocks. With Glenn "the guru" Cooper

Following dredging in Queensland the fish population suffered because of the turbidity and suffocated. Dredging in Westernport will ruin recreational fishing.

THe Chinese Yangshan Container Port is the model for the Port of Hastings expansion. Clearly it will destroy the pristine water as it is today.

24 million cubic metres of spoil would be dredged from Westernport the spoil of which would fill 15 MCG's! #phillipisland

The Impacts of dredging have far reaching implications for the seabed and for all life forms that rely on seagrass to feed, live and remain healthy.

As featured in the Leader news

Westernport is officially noted as an environment worthy of protection. Fish, Shorebirds, Mangroves, seagrass holding CO2 are vital to keep the environment balanced.

This doesn't make sense not even to the Logistics and freight industry!

Attached is a handy Educational resource for students in Year 5 & 6.

http://birdlife.org.au/documents/EDU-Western-Port-Shorebird-Kit.pdf

We wonder how much sand will remain on beaches once dredging and currents take their toll?

Left to Right    Steve Cork ANU ecologist and futurist, Dr Ida Kubiszewski ANU Senior Lecturer, Dr Robert Costanza ANU Chair in Public Policy , Simon Brannigan VNPA, Professor Barbara Norman Foundation Chair of Urban & Regional planning, Jeff Nottle Chairman Preserve Western Port Action Group. 

Preserve Western Port members attended The Institute for Supply Chain & Logistics Victoria University address today at Point Cook. In attendance were 200 representatives from logistics industries, shipping companies, major manufacturers, state & local Government. The key note address was given by Dr Hermoine Parsons PhD.
"Simple ideas, do not work in the logistics industry." she said. "Building a Port is only one point in the system. It is imperative that it is supported by landside logistics such as rail & road, or business will find it too expensive to use and will find a cheaper option."
Hastings has none of the necessary linkages to move containers effectively, or cheaply. All planning stops at Dandenong. 70% of exported freight comes from the Western side of Melbourne. Any addtional costs to move goods to and from Hastings will be borne by the consumer.
A major container facitlity at Hastings is not supported by the Victorian business & logistics community. Why then is the Government pushing for it? Why are they spending $110 million dollars on a feasability study? Why are they not listening?

Smiles belie the serious business: Preserve Western Port members Patsy Hunt, Jeff Nottle and Kate Whittaker with Ports Minister David Hodgett, Bas MP Ken Smith and Liberal candidate for Bass Brian Paynter at Rhyll.

Directly South of where proposed dredging will take place for the Port.

Eatern Enterance over Cape Woolamai - Photo K Chambers

Photo K. Chambers

Looking North up North arm channel - Photo K Chambers

Mangroves protecting Tooradin Township

Photo: K Chambers

Mudbanks Opposite existing Oil terminal at Crib Point

Mudbanks protecting mangroves in low lying areas around Tooradin

Photo: K Chambers

Over Tooradin looking south to French Island. Very Shallow

Photo: K Chambers

This photo is parallel to Crib Point

Photo: K Chambers

This shows San Remo Bridge between San Remo & Newhaven

Photo: K Chambers

South to Port site, National Park will be wiped out

Photo: K Chambers

Too shallow for shipping will need significant dredging.

Photo: K Chambers

Fundraiser - Phillip Island

Inside property gate before during storm. dredging will cause massive swells when storms occur.

Photo: K Chambers

Members took a tour around the bay to see exactly what the coast line is like around Westernport Bay.

A group of volunteers and members and interested participants took a tour around Westernport Bay to learn more about the natural environment.  

Dr Hermione Parsons and Peter Van Duyn have urged the State Government to consider alternatives to the Port of Hastings.

The present value of ecosystem services provided by Western port bay is estimated at between $7billion and $88 billion. So maybe the government should protect it.

K. Whittaker 

Illustration: Jenni Jobe

What are they exploiting, I mean, exporting? Our family holidays, fishing, water sports, clean beaches, tourist income, land value, population dignity - self esteem?

K Whittaker

Illustration: Jenni Jobe

A foreboding painting by John Adam. Showing a hulking container ship pushing its way through scattering birds on Western Port. This painting will feature in John's exhibition from 27th July @Saraghi artspace in Cowes.

The Argus (Melbourne) 20 August 1914

Dredging in Westernport dumping of silt kills fish. Read more here