NEWS DESK
Bay becomes a regular stop-off for killer whales Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au KILLER whales, or orcas, have returned to Port Phillip. A group photographed off Point Nepean included a male known as Ripple, who has been tracked and catalogued by whale watchers since 2005. Marine wildlife consultant with the Dolphin Research Institute David Donnelly said Ripple was last sighted in Port Phillip in 2015, but has also been recorded in waters off southern NSW, western Victoria and south eastern Tasmania. “Australian killer whales are highly mobile and on the east coast rarely spend longer than a few hours to a day in any one location,” Mr Donnelly said. While killer whales were often in Port Phillip and reported sightings were becoming more frequent, Mr Donnelly said they were still regarded as being relatively uncommon. “This is probably as a result of improved reporting rather than a population increase,” he said. “They enter the bay from time to time and occasionally travel as far as Mornington.” He said the killer whales were identified by their fin, saddle and eye patch. “Using photos with these features we compare with other killer whales to determine an individual. Once an individual has been identified, it is given a unique ID number and added to the Killer Whales Australia catalogue.” The Hastings-based Dolphin
Point visit: Killer whales off Point Nepean, Portsea. Picture: Karen Pecar
Research Institute this week reported dolphins being seen in Patterson River, Carrum as well the Yarra and Maribyrnong rivers. Institute executive director Jeff Weir said the dolphins “provide an exciting reminder of Melbourne’s close connection to our wonderful bay”. “This [the river sightings] is not an everyday event, but we do have
sightings in our database going back nearly 25 years. Dolphins have been seen as far up the Yarra as the Chapel St Bridge and in the Maribyrnong far beyond the racecourse.” Mr Weir said it was believed the dolphins followed migrating bream into the rivers. “Researchers believe the river visitors are bottlenose dolphins, possibly a
mother and calf. Port Phillip is home to resident communities of approximately 120 bottlenose dolphins and more than 30 common dolphins,” he said. “It is remarkable to have these dolphins living in our backyard, when many coastal communities around the world are losing their resident dolphins. “It’s natural for dolphins to explore
rivers and there is no need to intervene.” Regulations stipulate that people should not deliberately approach dolphins closer than 100 metres in boats, 300 metres on jet skis and 30 metres for paddlers or swimmers and should keep their speed below five knots. Dolphin sightings can be reported to: dolphinresearch.org.au or by calling 1300 130 949.
Hastings misses out on port nomination Continued from Page 1 “Bay West has strong transport, land use, environmental and amenity advantages when compared to Hastings. It can initially handle overflow container capacity, but is also well suited to becoming Melbourne’s future container port in the longer term.” The advice from Infrastructure Victoria also comes at the same time that the government will take over the management of the Port of Hastings through the Victorian Channels Authority. As from 1 July the harbourmaster and assistant harbourmaster will be responsible for shipping in and out of Western Port with the Port of Hastings Development Authority managing the ports onland requirements. Eight development authority staff – down from a peak of 30 full time and 30 part time staff, including consultants – will move from their offices in High St, Hastings to Stony Point. About 100 ships have visited the port in each
of the past three years, either picking up gas, crude oil or steel for export or importing petroleum products. In the 1970s and 1980s there were about 600 ship movements a year. Shire councillors were briefed in March by Infrastructure Victoria in the lead up to the release of its latest report recommending against a container port at Hastings. The mayor Cr Bev Colomb said on Friday the council was disappointed by at the Bay West decision. The shire had seen a container port at Hastings as a “key strategic priority” and would keep telling the government that Hastings “is the right solution”. “The shire strongly believes that a green port should be developed to showcase ‘green’ technology and international best practice in marine and terrestrial environmental management recognising the environmental and cultural heritage values of Western Port,” Cr Colomb said.
Meanwhile, Kawasaki Heavy Industries appears to be continuing its plans to export liquid hydrogen from the Port Hastings. At the same 20 March briefing councillors were given information about by Kawasaki’s “hydrogen energy supply chain proposed pilot project”. The shire’s chief operating officer Alison Leighton said on Friday that Kawasaki was considering BlueScope Steel’s existing wharf in Hastings for its “pilot project for the production of hydrogen energy in Victoria”. She said the company had not applied for a planning permit and it would also need permits from state and federal authorities. “If successful, the plant project is not expected to begin operations until 2020,” Ms Leighton said. Hastings MP Neale Burgess has accused the state government of signing a secret deal with Kawasaki that could lead to “long coal trains or a coal slurry pipe bringing huge amounts of coal
to Hastings, building of a huge coal gasification plant at Hastings and the produced hydrogen being shipped through Western Port” (“Secret deal for toxic plant – MP” The News 24/1/17). Kawasaki says it has been negotiating with state and federal governments for six years and has never been involved in plans to process coal at Western Port. However, it is understood a pilot plant to extract gas from coal may be built at Hastings before any major construction near the source of the brown coal in the Latrobe Valley. Ironically, the French company that closed the Hazelwood powers station leading to hundreds of jobless in the Latrobe Valley is part of a consortium promoting the use of hydrogen as a power source alongside solar and wind. Engie is reported to be building a test power grid on a small island off Singapore where it will use hydrogen gas to convert power from solar panels and wind turbines into stored fuel.
M. & A. EGAN Licensed Plumber & Gasfitter PIB No: 22042
461 Dundas St, Rye, 3941. PO Box 101, Rye, 3941.
PH: (03) 5985 2322 MOB: 0418 301 980
eganplumbing@bigpond.com PAGE 4
Southern Peninsula News 30 May 2017
...Don’t miss securing that wanted prope property p rty Immediate access to Bond & Rent nt Move into that property now Fast prompt assistance Easy terms and conditions No upfront fees and charges Pre approval before finding a property We can assist with transfer off bonds between properties
WE CAN ASSIST YOU WITH IMMEDIATE ACCESS S TO BOND AND RENT T
1300 554 470 2-4 Chelsea Rd, Chelsea VIC 3196 Fax: 03 9776 2929 Email: info@bondassist.com.au
www.bondassist.com.au