Vic: Protesters to surround bay dredger

AAP General News (Australia)
08-06-2005
Vic: Protesters to surround bay dredger

By Jane Bunce

MELBOURNE, Aug 6 AAP - Opponents of a controversial $580 million Port Phillip Bay channel
deepening project will put their bodies on the line as the second day of trial dredging
begins tomorrow.

Blue Wedges Coalition - their call rejected in court - will stage a marine blockade
tomorrow with members in boats and windsurfers leaving Rye pier at noon to surround the
dredger.

"The first aim is to draw attention to it, and the second is, within the limits of
safety, to stop the dredger from working," spokeswoman Jo Samuel-King said.

But the Port of Melbourne Authority today warned protesters - a coalition of resident,
environmental and small business interests - to keep their distance from the 175 metre
dredger.

Speaking after the trial got underway in the south-east of the bay without incident
today, Port chief executive Stephen Bradford said dredging would stop if protesters entered
a 100 metre exclusion zone around the Queen of the Netherlands.

"It is for their safety we say 'Stay away, protest on the beach'," he said.

"The Queen of the Netherlands is a very large vessel. It is very dangerous to come
within 100 metres."

Mr Bradford did not rule out legal action if the "stupid protests" forced a halt of the dredging.

"The trial dredging is a very important program for Victoria," he said.

"If the protesters were really concerned about the health of Port Philip Bay they would
want to know the outcome of this scientific trial ... rather than conducting frivolous
protests."

Earlier this week the the 'Queen of The Netherlands' - a jumbo trailing suction hopper
dredger - outran waterborne protesters as it entered the bay and came up the Yarra River.

Its captain later warned protesters could get sucked under if they came too close to
the dredge at work.

The $32 million trial is expected to gouge 1.7 million cubic metres of sand and rock
from the channel - around five per cent of the entire project.

An independent panel recommended trial dredging after it found the Port of Melbourne's
initial $12 million environmental effects statement (EES) had failed to answer key questions
about the channel deepening project.

Mr Bradford today said a full assessment, which will be used to complete a supplementary
ESS, would come later this year although some preliminary data would be available during
the nine week dredge.

"The people of Victoria can rest assured all the information from this very important
scientific trial will be put before them," he said.

Ms Samuel-King said the group, who yesterday lost a Supreme Court bid for an injunction
to stop the dredging, was taking legal advice and considering their options for further
court action.

"Once the rocks are removed they cannot be replaced," she said.

AAP jb/cjh

KEYWORD: CHANNEL NIGHTLEAD

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