Yesterday early morning at Rosebud Pier, in a seaside town on the Mornington Peninsular, a protest was organised to demonstrate to the public that there are many of us out here in the greater world who do not want an archaic vision for Melbourne and our Bay to be implemented. What do we want instead?
We want a way of living that honours the natural beauty and immense value of this Bay surrounded by a sprawling City and embracing many villages and towns; supporting many small and larger human enterprises and providing us all here in Victoria with a huge, healthy, regenerating carbon sink and a Marine Sanctuary.
Fifteen brave souls took on the huge dredger as a symbolic gesture that represents the feelings, thoughts and prayers of many. It is not just the physical size and power of the dredger, but also what its work in our Bay is preparing the channels for: an industrial mega City and international port which is inappropriate for this City and Bay. The design and creation of an Eco City surrounding a Marine Sanctuary is the natural expression and enhancing of what we already have and cherish.
The Age newspaper today offers a video/sound playing of the whales singing in Tonga. May it be an inspiration to us and a reminder of what we are seeking to maintain and protect. It is my small offering in gratitude.
Whales singing
Pic courtesy of ABC tv news.
See updated Press Page for coverage.
Channel Deepening
One
The salt water from Port Phillip Bay
washes the salt from my skin,
caresses my tired muscles,
at the end of a hot work-day.
I float, in a watery crib,
rocked gently by the rhythmic wave surge,
so gently rocked, the boundaries between my blood
and the Bay’s waters dissolve, there’s no separation:
her tides, my monthly bleeding,
each ruled by the Moon’s waxing and waning,
places of creation, places of profound nurturing.
The Bay’s womb-shape,
protects her life from the seas of Bass Strait.
And in her cool, shallow waters she supports 5000 different life forms,
fish, crustaceans, mammals, seagrass and algae.
Seabirds – some fly millions of miles to feast and to breed and to live and die here.
A pod of female dolphins, guardians of her southern Heads,
greet a myriad of fish entering to spawn in the sanctuary of her seagrass beds,
where Weedy Seadragons drift.
And penguins chase anchovy in the north, at the Yarra River’s mouth.
I ache for her.
Plans for violation: trials, calculations, projections
The hydro-hammer at her entrance,
the dredging of her channels,
toxic sediment resuspended,
murky plumes clouding her waters;
risking the death of her life:
unconsented termination to provide entry for those big container ships.
My tears are salty too, and they flow freely in her salty waters.
And still she rocks me gently,
encircles me with her strength,
croones me an underwater lullaby.
“I am Power”, she sings, “primal energy, the originator of life.
My nurturing is infinite: feel it!
You are power too: know it in your body.
Have hope. Stand strong. We are one.”
Two
68 square km of seagrass abundant with Life.
Heterozostera tasmanica, Amphibolis antarcticus. Zostera meulleri:
you are the crux on which so much depends.
King George Whiting, Australian Salmon, Calamari, Rockflathead,
Six-spined leather jacket, Grass whiting. Pipefish:
our science has not yet grasped your intricacies.
Rare Snapping Shrimp and Burrowing Ghost Shrimp:
from where will you return when the sediment finally settles?
I dream of our culture honouring all life forms.
21 million cubic metres of rock and sand removed in the South
and dumped back in the Bay off Mt Martha.
10.5 million cubic metres removed from the North,
and dumped off Brighton.
Maintenance dredging ‘till 2030.
I dream of our culture respecting the limits of nature.
Turbid plumes stretching for 25 000 ha in south and 13 000 ha in the north:
Pipefish, seahorses, seadragons, your EPBC* Act listing can’t help you now.
Marine Sanctuaries, Ramsar Conventions, where’s your protection?
Competitive advantage, economic impact, global markets, efficiency,
bigger and better, faster, cheaper, more money, more money, more money.
I dream of our planet working together,
Co-operating with the long-term welfare of the whole
in our minds and our hearts.
I share my dreams of hope with millions of people.
Are we foolish to dream?
Then, when shall we start?
The Bay is sacred; let’s respect all of her Life,
let’s embrace all her gifts;
let’s give thanks for all she provides.
Sophie Small
This pic is taken from Arthur’s seat and overlooks the area of the bay where the channelling shall begin this morning.
***[Protestors hassle the Dredger. Updated Press Page midday.
Pics, video footage and articles. ]***
Taken by Jewelz from balcony in McCrae around 8.30 am this morning.
The Federal Court ordered Blue Wedges and PoMC into mediation yesterday. After five hours (must have been gruelling), the agreement was reached to barr the dredging at the mouth of the Yarra and Williamstown until after the hearing set for 20 February.
So today, the Queen sets up her equipment to start work on the Southern Channel.
Delay
In today’s Age, there is a beautiful article written by Paul Bateman who loves his swim in the Bay. He writes:
Ironically, when Lieutenant-Colonel David Collins sailed from Port Phillip Bay in 1804 — only months after he’d arrived and attempted without success to establish a permanent settlement at Sullivan Cove, Sorrento — he said of the bay:
“It cannot nor ever will be resorted to by speculative men.”
Paul Bateman
The Press page is updated so you scan the latest few days at leisure.
There is also a map of the dredging plan on the links index at right of this home page.
Personally, I think we are being bulldozed into all of this by little boy brains with big egos who have too much time and money and very little sensitivity and intelligent/educated vision: ‘Speculative men’ indeed!
Perhaps their childhood playboxes were full of excavation toys, piggy banks and bob-the-builder books. There are many of us however, who do not want them in our sandpit nor near our beautiful swimming hole and fish pond: go away!
There are also many who just do not relate to the ’Let’s pretend’ game of 2030 prosperity at the cost of those industries, enterprises and livelihoods we enjoy here today.
Pffft!
There is a partial eclipse this afternoon so if you are feeling morose – it may be affecting you. It is instinctively a time of withdrawal.
It is an excellent time for those attuned to send your energies of support and warning to the life forms in the Southern Channel, especially near Rosebud and along the shore heading South. We can assist the Bay by informing the dolphins and seals who will warn the other sea life to get out of the way.
Cheers, blessings for the new moon Eclipse in the humanitarian sign of Aquarius, the beginning of the Chinese year of the Rat.
It is a full lunar cycle since we lined the beaches and shone our lights.
Love Our Bay!
It’s official, Minister Garrett has approved the dredging project with the very strict guidelines and conditions established. The project must be monitored and the public informed of the results:
Minister Garrett’s media release: garrettmr20080205a.pdf
Garrett approves dredging, ABC tv news.
The Blue Wedges Coalition has 24 hours to apply for an injunction.
Protestors from a number of groups stormed Parliament today:
In the eye of the storm, the Age newspaper.
Garrett gives dredging go-ahead, the Age. Video footage of protest at opening of Parliament today.
The people of Victoria are concerned about their environment.
We have contributed significantly to this awareness and collectively have helped to throw a halogen lamp on the care of our Bay.
7. 15 pm Tuesday 5 February 2008
Locals meet International:
Five concerned water groups will express their concern to Parliament
at midday tomorrow.
Today I met with our local Mornington Peninsular Federal MP: Greg Hunt. The meeting was arranged as part of a campaign to introduce local politicians to the GetUp Organisation’s people agenda. The purpose was to familiarise Greg with the process by which GetUp members across Australia determined the priorities for our nation: these are Environment, Education and Reconciliation with another 7 concerns listed.
Our local Flinders group agreed unanimously that environment was most crucial: in particular the concerns about Gunnamatta Ocean, Westernport and Port Phillip Bays. Top of the agenda for Flinders group when it met in December was concern re the dredging of Melbourne’s Bay.
Greg came prepared to the meeting with copies of articles expressing his own concerns. These were published in the Herald Sun:
Dredging casts dark shadow on beautiful Port Phillip
01 December 2007
Highlights the projected loss of income for the people whose livelihood depends on the Bay as well addressing the dire consequences of the dredging and toxic dump – to the health of the Bay:
“The State Government’s own assessment of the channel deepening project found that dive operators and other businesses reliant on the bay will lose almost $19 million in income as a direct result of the dredging.”
Toxic Shocker
24 January 2008
Further emphasises his concern with the pollution of the Bay:
“Would a private company be allowed to dump sediment contaminated by zinc, lead and mercury in the bay?
Answer: absolutely not. “
Greg is the Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water. He is friendly, interesting and impassioned about both human and environmental issues and is definitely committed to participatory democracy.
His website is:
www.greghunt.org
Perhaps you could approach your own local Federal representatives before they head for Canberra and the first sitting of Parliament for 2008.
A reminder: for those who are interested in applying for the Port of Melbourne Community Liason group to assist in the monitoring of the Bay: applications close on Friday 8 February.
clg_expression_of_interest_form.pdf
clg_information_for_applicants.pdf
Cheers and here’s welcoming the much needed rain!
Hilary
[*pic by Rhys at the heads on January 29]
The moods of the Bay intrigue me.
This early dawn pic reveals a bronze and golden sea.
Yet in just a couple of hours, the water could be clear blues and greens.
The weather and the time of day paints the same scenes with different colours.
The predawn spectacular of Venus and Jupiter with a crescent moon can be seen in the greyblue sky towards the SE and is indeed something to behold.
These next two mornings before the storms and rain descend once again, offer a delight if you can rouse yourselves to head for the Bay and a beloved beach around 5.30 – 6.00 am.
Breakfast and coffee afterwards is yummy.
Peace.
[Update: The sky is covered in cloud and the seamists cocoon the world in silence and stillness. Did not catch a glimpse of Venus and Jupiter - but shall venture out again the next two morns anyway. It is beautiful starting the day in such peace.
We are well into the United Nations Decade :
Water for Life 2005 - 2015.
I have updated the Press page.
Perhaps it is time for a State referendum.
Let the people decide.
Do note this weekend Minister Garrett is absorbed with the Environment Plan for the Bay. Perhaps either a sunrise or sunset sojourn around the Bay and ponderance about its need for protective care - may help. We are connected and the template is there for us all to utilise for our own well being
and that of the Bay. ]
Next Entries »