THE future of Williamstown North’s fishing village remains uncertain, but an overhaul to the mouth of Kororoit Creek is imminent.
Hobsons Bay City Council last week agreed to cooperate with the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) to review the long-term future of the Maddox Rd fishing community.
Generations have relied on the hub for their livelihood since the 1920s, when fishing and boating sheds were first built on public land .
Although residential use is not permitted, the previous Williamstown Council allowed occupants to sleep there while building the boat sheds.
Nowadays television satellites, clotheslines, wafting food aromas, post boxes and wheelie bins paint a picture of a nestling hub privy to year-round beautiful views.
But threats to water life and birds and nearby beach pollution have led to intervention by a taskforce including Melbourne Water, Parks Victoria and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Lessees who fail to comply with new regulations, including signing up to public liability insurance, cleaning up sites and fencing off hazardous activities, could be evicted.
Over the past two months council’s environmental health officers tested water and grounds at the fishing village and found discharges of grey water (bathroom and kitchen waste water) and untreated black water (sewage) leaking from the majority of sites.
It is understood that a council officer also witnessed sewage discharges into the creek after a toilet in one of the sheds was flushed.
Council has reported some sites have septic tanks installed with no evidence of permits, as their proximity to Kororoit Creek would not comply with the Septic Tanks Code of Practice.
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The council recently sent letters requesting sites be cleaned up and building works cease but the new regulations will enforce it more stringently.
Williamstown North Ward councillor Peter Hemphill said the clean-up had been avoided in the past because it was “too hard”.
“It’s been a place that’s been forgotten, a no-go area,” Cr Hemphill said.
“But in this day and age it’s just not good enough when we have sewage leaking into our waterways and into the bay.”
He also urged the EPA to become more involved with the overhaul.
The State Government and council previously argued over whose responsibility the clean up was, but implications for the adjacent marine national park moved the DSE to lead.
Only three sites of about 20 boatsheds are on Crown Land.
Site holders do not pay council rates but a rental fee of $100 per annum along with standard garbage collection costs.
One of those on Crown Land is Vancouver Bait Supply, owned by commercial fisherman Phil McAdam, who welcomes the clean-up.
The Newport father-of-two also owns the house at the end of Maddox Rd, and having grown up fishing from the area believes local industry has a lot to answer for.
“I walked out on the jetty the other day and saw a dirty big oil slick,” he said.
“It was coming straight from the Mobil Refinery drain.”
“What we put in is nothing compared to what industry puts in.”
He said he hasn’t witnessed any sewage pollution but admitted he is aware of grey water and people living in the sheds from time to time over the years.
An EPA spokeswoman said the EPA has discussed how to deal with unsewered areas with the council and City West Water.
“This issue is one that the Hobsons Bay City Council is best placed to deal with,” the EPA spokeswoman said.
DSE coastal manager, Port Phillip region, Doug Miller said pollution has caused sedimentation of the creek bed.
Mr Miller said sandbars forming over the mouth of the creek inhibit safe access of recreational boats.
He said the area is also subject to potential contaminants of the creek from upstream sources and it suffers coastal erosion.
