Blue Wedges Coalition Blue Wedges Coalition

Blue Wedges Coalition against the deepening and dredging of Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

A vision for our Bays, waterways and beaches

The Blue Wedges, Port Phillip and Westernport Bays, and the waterways which flow into them belong to the people. They are a community asset of incalculable value to the people of Greater Melbourne and Victoria and should be protected, conserved and managed by government, for the people.

We know and love our Green Wedges and welcome the State Government's excellent legislation to protect them, and we congratulate government for its success in establishing Marine Parks in spite of some powerful opposition.

But, we need to do more to preserve the eco systems of our Bays and the interface between land and sea, the catchments and estuaries. About 85% of plants and animals in southern waters are found nowhere else in the world. Unique and extraordinary biodiversity! But in Western Port Bay alone over 70% of sea grass has been lost due to human activities; mainly port and land developments.

Our marine and freshwater open space and its biodiversity must be protected from threats including the proposal to deepen the shipping channels in The Rip and Port Phillip Bay, unbridled development in catchment areas and ill-thought proposals for breakwaters and marina developments around the coastlines.

What we want

Management of our ancient and fragile marine and freshwater environments is presently fragmented - several agencies have competing or overlapping influence and jurisdiction. This has been to the detriment of all users of our coasts and waterways.

The Bracks Government was elected on a promise to 'put the protection and enhancement of the natural and urban environment at the forefront of planning decision-making.'

To properly protect our waterways we urge government to implement this promise by integrating the various Coastal and Catchment Authorities under strongly legislated, or cross-sectorial Bay protection policy. The new Department of Sustainability and Environment is ideally suited to manage this visionary approach to land and water management. As a first step towards this new vision we call on government to adopt the following principles:

-:- put a halt to any further marine based industries or commercial developments in these areas until effective Blue Wedges policy is adopted.
-:- resist demands for further development of the coastal areas of Port Phillip and Western Port Bay that threaten the ecological integrity or sustainability of the marine or coastal environment.
-:- coordinate policies to protect the Blue Wedges across transport, roads, housing, population policy, agriculture and local government portfolios as well as planning and environment.
-:- review the impact of all State and municipal infrastructure projects on the integrity of the Blue Wedges, consider alternatives before such projects can proceed and apply the precautionary principle where impacts would be adverse.

And so, we ask State Government to deal with the most pressing current threat to Port Phillip Bay by ensuring that no proposal to deepen the shipping channels in the Bay, The Rip and the Yarra River will be approved until an alternative National goods handling system has been transparently costed and investigated, in line with EES guidelines, and it can be shown that there will be no adverse impacts from any consequent:

-:- increase in the size of tides in Port Phillip
-:- increased risk of flood damage to coastal areas and their residential developments
-:- damage to our outstanding marine habitats and ecosystems
-:- alternative plans to develop Western Port
-:- damage to our precious and fragile beaches

We believe these actions are the only way to curb the development pressures on our ancient and unique Blue Wedges so that they can be preserved and enjoyed in perpetuity.

Signatories to the charter

Australian Anglers Association (Vic Division)
Australians for a Sustainable Future
Bayside Alliance
Beaumaris Conservation Society Inc
Bellarine Seastar- Queenscliff
Black Rock & Sandringham Conservation Association Inc
Brighton Foreshore Preservation Association Inc
Carrum Anglers Club
Carrum Residents Action Group Inc
Clayton Fishing Club
Clean Water Cycle
Cranbourne Angling Club
Defenders of the SE Green Wedge
Dive and Dive
Dive Industry Association Victoria
Diveline Club
EarthCare St Kilda
EcoVision
Elwood Angling Club
Forrester Marine
Frankston Beach Association Inc
Friends of Point Lillias
Friends of Brighton Dunes at the Dr Jim Willis Reserve
Friends of Chinaman's Creek Inc - West Rosebud
Friends of Darebin Creek
Friends of Mentone Cliffs
Friends of Rosebud Beach and Foreshore Inc
Friends of Seaford Foreshore
Friends of the Weedy Seadragon
Geelong Environment Council Inc
Gould St Residents - Frankston
John Duyker
Kananook Creek Association Inc
Kingston Conservation & Environment Coalition Inc
Maribyrnong Truck Action Group
McCrae Homestead Coastal Group Inc
Moonee Ponds Community Association
Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League Inc
Mornington Environment Association Inc
Mornington Peninsula Youth Enterprises
Mt. Eliza Association for Environmental Care Inc
Nutrition Australia
Oakdale Angling Club
Oz Dive
Peninsula Field Naturalists Club
Polperro Dolphin Swims- Sorrento
Port Phillip Bay & Westernport Professional Fishermen's Assoc Inc
Protectors of Public Lands Inc - Victoria
Queenscliff Community Association
Rebel Fishing
Rowan Woodlands - Dingley Village
Rye Body Balance
Sandringham Bicycle Users Group.
Save Pt Nepean
Sea-All Dolphin Swims -Queenscliff
Southern Peninsula Indigenous Flora & Fauna Association Inc
Southern Shark Gillnet Fishermen's Association
The Central Highlands Alliance
The Fishing Party (Vic)
Timber Plus
VRFish
Warringal Conservation Society Inc
Western Region Environment Centre - Werribee
Westernport & Peninsula Protection Council Inc

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❊ Web Links ❊

➼ Blue Wedges Coalition 

➼ www.bluewedges.org.au

❊ Also See... ❊

➼ Save Port Phillip Bay






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