By Hamish Heard
OPPONENTS of controversial plans to dredge shipping channels in the Yarra River and Port Phillip are waiting to see if an 11th-hour legal bid to halt the project has been successful.
The Blue Wedges Coalition took Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett to court last week to challenge his approval of the million project, the cost of which has already blown out to nearly $1 billion.
Dredging is set to begin in three weeks on the project, which would allow ships with a 14-metre draught to enter Melbourne’s port.
Port of Melbourne Corporation argues the project is vital to securing Victoria’s economic future, but opponents claim it will destroy delicate ecosystems in the bay.
Blue Wedges Coalition’s lawyer Michael Morehead spent Thursday and Friday trying to convince Federal Court Justice Peter Heerey that the project should be blocked.
The group claims the project should not have received Mr Garrett’s approval because it was now 10 times bigger than specified in an original application to the Federal Government in 2002.
Blue Wedges Coalition spokesperson John Willis said the original application proposed deepening shipping channels by between 1.5m and 2m by moving about two million cubic metres of dredge material.
But the project as it now stands will see 23 million cubic metres of material dredged from the bottom of the bay, increasing depths by 5m.
Mr Willis described the opening day of the court hearing as a “complete disgrace”.
“We had lawyers arguing over the finer points of law when it should have all been about protecting what is Victoria’s single greatest asset – Port Phillip Bay,” Mr Willis said.
He said Justice Heerey had reserved his decision and an outcome was expected early this week.
“We’re waiting with bated breath to see whether (Justice Heerey) will make the right decision, and that is to preserve Port Phillip Bay,” Mr Willis said.
“And we’re hoping that ‘Mr plastic bags’ would find that there is now cause for an reassessment of the entire project, particularly as he is yet, to our knowledge, to even see the environmental management plan.”
Mr Willis was referring to Mr Garrett, who on day one of last week’s hearing announced plans to rid Australia of plastic bags within two years.
