NEWS DESK
Dredge threat to Heads if port lease goes ahead Mike Hast mike@baysidenews.com.au PORT Phillip Heads will have to be widened and deepened with a massive project that will make the controversial 2008-09 dredging pale into insignificance if the state government goes ahead with a 70-year lease of the Port of Melbourne, says peninsula MP Martin Dixon. Mr Dixon was speaking in the Parliament last week as the controversy over the government’s port bill reached fever pitch with the Opposition and Greens vowing to block the bill in the Upper House. The Port of Melbourne Lease Transaction Bill 2015 passed the Lower House last Thursday but the government does not have the numbers in the Upper House, and Treasurer Tim Pallas has threatened to bypass the Parliament. The government needs the port lease money – as much as $7 billion – to pay for removal of 50 level crossings as well as “building Melbourne Metro, the West Gate Distributor and other important transport initiatives”, a government spokesman said. The Opposition says the bill would “lead to a monopoly on the port’s ownership until 2090” and stop building of a new port at Hastings or on the western shore of Port Phillip between Werribee and Geelong as the government would have to pay compensation if a second container port was developed during the term of the lease. But figures accepted by both Labor and the Coalition when a second port was proposed show the Port of Melbourne will be at capacity in about
LETTERS
Flashback: It’s 2008 and the Dutch dredger the Queen of the Netherlands works in The Heads to remove rock to allow ships of 14 metres draft to enter Port Phillip. Picture: Yanni
15 years and a second container port would complement rather than compete with Melbourne’s existing port. The company that leases the Port of Melbourne could very well tender to build and operate the second port. Mr Dixon, who alone among Liberal MPs in the lead-up to the 2006 state election opposed the 2008-09 dredging, said the state government would ensure “the destruction of Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park” if the port lease went ahead. “The Port of Melbourne is unable
to accept the current fleet of container ships with 16-metre drafts unless The Heads are widened and deepened with a massive dredging project that will make the controversial 2008-09 dredging pale into insignificance,” he said. “Former Port of Melbourne CEO Stephen Bradford conservatively estimated such blasting and dredging works would increase the high tide level in Port Phillip by 150mm [6 inches] – clearly enough to decimate our peninsula coastline. “Jobs and long-term business invest-
ment on the peninsula have all but dried up under Labor as they have gutted the Port of Hastings Development Authority before even establishing their much-touted Infrastructure Victoria advisory panel. “I encourage residents and visitors to pick up copies of a petition I am circulating that demands this crazy proposal is stopped and this irresponsible environmental and economic damage to the Mornington Peninsula is prevented.” Mr Dixon said predicted larger con-
tainer ships would need 16 metres of depth not the existing 14 metres at The Heads, and about 25 million cubic metres would have to be removed from the entrance as well as 75 million cubic metres from shipping channels. He said a total of 25 million cubic metres was removed from all parts of Port Phillip in 2008-09. Rejecting expansion of the Port of Hastings would cost 15,000 jobs over the next decade. “I have the fourthpoorest electorate in the state; my electorate has the fourth-lowest income in the state. The people in my community need jobs; they need careers.” The Opposition’s David Hodgett, the ports minister in the Napthine government, said “Daniel Andrews and Tim Richardson are failing to stand up for the local community and rule out any blasting of The Heads and dredging of Port Phillip. Andrews has botched the contract for the lease of the Port of Melbourne and that would lock in dire environmental consequences around Port Phillip”. Mr Pallas reportedly said leasing the port “means we can pay for the removal of our 50 worst level crossings, create thousands of jobs, get Victorians home safer and sooner, and still protect our AAA credit rating.”
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Two-way violence It was illuminating to read the letter from Tony Nicholl (‘Dads in Distress’, The Times 22/6/15) where he pointed out the fact that women perpetrate a lot “family violence” on men as well as the other way around. It is refreshing to see a newspaper publish this side of the story, given that for years all I ever seem to have read on the subject is that almost every other husband is cruel and violent. Such brainwashing has now caused [the establishment of] a political Family Violence Commission where, presumably, the wisdom of Solomon will be applied to events in the bedroom and private marriages. It is to be fervently hoped that the
outcomes will not be more ways to put men into jail, more intervention orders to kick husbands out of their own homes, prevent reconciliation, ruin careers, ruin lives, and suffer the little children. For the record, I am an old bloke, married for 48 years, happy, and I’ve seen it all. Brian A Mitchelson, Mornington
Following Mr Hawley’s concerns, VicRoads will continue to monitor traffic at this location to ensure pedestrians are crossing safely and local Victoria Police Highway Patrol Unit, who have also been notified, will monitor for motorists who fail to give way to pedestrians. Sonya Kilkenny, State MP for Carrum
Lights unchanged
Dumbing down
I refer to Arthur Hawley’s letter (‘Light relief’, The Times 22/6/15) regarding pedestrian safety at the lights on Frankston Dandenong Road and Ballarto Road in Seaford. I have contacted VicRoads on behalf of Mr Hawley and am advised that the traffic signal sequence at this location has not been altered since mid-2011.
After the successful destruction of much of Australia’s manufacturing base, our present government’s aim is set on the education system. But it all makes sense, we really don’t need any educated people for the future economy of fruit picking and vegetable harvesting for the rich nations to our north.
These nations have of course chosen to educate their people and build their manufacturing and are planning their future in the 21st century with a little more vision than our anti-science government. And our mushroom population keeps these people in power. Rupert Steiner, Balnarring
eedback ‘Drowning death lessons for all’, The Times 22/6/15 Swimming lessons need to be significantly reduced so that all children have an opportunity to learn. We live in Australia learning to swim is so so important yet the costs
of swimming lessons is extreme and out of reach for a lot of families. School swimming is not enough. Kelly Marx If the government pays for them then great but there are a lot of Families who can’t afford this. Kathryn Van We have swimming lessons at our school but most parents won’t send their children. Pamela Cooper Give your view about Frankston Times stories at the Facebook page of Bayside News. Your view may be published in a future edition of the Frankston Times.
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