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Wynne blocks Crib Point gas plan

30/3/2021

20 Comments

 
PictureBass Coast councillors celebrate on hearing the news that Western Port is safe … for now. From left, Mayor Brett Tessari, Leticia Laing, Clare Le Serve and Bruce Kent. Photo: Geoff Ellis
By Catherine Watson

A CONCERTED community campaign to protect Western Port has won the day with Planning Minister Ricard Wynne announcing this morning that a gas import terminal at Crib Point will not proceed.
​

Power company AGL and pipeline business APA had proposed the floating gas import terminal and a gas pipeline to Pakenham.

PictureThe Minister's assessment
Mr Wynne said the proposal would have “unacceptable effects on the environment in Western Port, which is listed as a Ramsar wetland of international significance”.

“This has been an exhaustive, open and transparent process and this is the right outcome for the local community, the environment and Victoria as a whole,” he said.
​

“It’s very clear to me that this project would cause unacceptable impacts on the Western Port environment and the Ramsar wetlands – it’s important that these areas are protected.”

​Bass Coast Mayor Brett Tessari said it was difficult for the State Government to ignore the groundswell of opinion against a gas terminal in Western Port.

“I’m absolutely rapt for our community. So many people have fought so hard for this. It just shows what can be achieved if you organise properly.

“This really is a victory for the little people.”

Former state environment minister Kay Setches, who now lives on Phillip Island, echoed the jubilation. “I’m just over the moon. I could open the champagne now!”
 
Ms Setches rejected a marina on the bay during her term as minister during the Kirner Labor Government of the 1980s.
 
“History tells us we have to keep protecting the bay. It is such a huge resource so close to such a huge population. 

More than 6000 people, groups, councils and organisations made submissions during the environmental effect statement process. 

The three councils adjoining Western Port, Bass Coast Shire, Morning Peninsula Shire and Cardina Shire, all opposed the proposal, along with local groups including the Phillip Island Conservation Society.  
​

An independent inquiry and advisory committee (IAC) report was submitted to Mr Wynne in February.

20 Comments
Christine Grayden
30/3/2021 01:30:01 pm

Huge congratulations to everyone involved! Now to move towards making Western Port a national Reserve to keep industry out of it forever.

Reply
TIM O'BRIEN
30/3/2021 01:34:38 pm

What brilliant news!!! Perhaps Richard Wynne is not the environmental Luddite many of us have feared. This perhaps may give us cause for hope over the butchering by sand miners of the bush corridor running through Grantville.

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Elizabeth Mary Lambert
30/3/2021 01:41:39 pm

Fantastic News. Congratulations to us all.

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Ronnie Bauer
30/3/2021 01:50:51 pm

Great result. Congratulations to all involved

Reply
Laura Brearley
30/3/2021 01:51:56 pm

It’s been an incredible couple of hours with messages from people who are crying with relief and others cracking open the champagne.

Here are two ways of thinking about what has happened …

1) Pat McCabe, a Lakota woman talking about the idea that water is alive and that water is listening.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeeAMNxuqio

2) Here is the link to Richard Wynne's Assessment and Report. https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/environment-assessment/browse-projects/projects/crib-point.

Here’s an excerpt from his conclusion …
‘My overall conclusion is that the project will result in unacceptable environmental effects. Those unacceptable effects would result from the operation of the FSRU. The FSRU’s marine discharge will cause an ongoing impact to the environment over the 20 year life of the project. The adverse direct and indirect effects of that discharge on environmental values, fundamental to the Ramsar status of Western Port, are not compatible with the level of protection required to be afforded to a wetland of recognised international significance. The project’s other environmental impacts are likely to be acceptable subject to my recommended mitigation and management measures outlined in Section 5 and Appendix B. That said, I am conscious that, for the purposes of the Environment Effects Act, the Crib Point Gas Import Jetty and the Crib Point Pakenham Gas Pipeline were presented in a single EES and are subject to a single assessment. Accordingly, and in the context of the interdependency of the gas import jetty works and the pipeline works, I can only conclude that if one part of the project has unacceptable environmental effects, the project in its entirety, has unacceptable environmental effects.’ P.56

It's a happy day.
I hope you are able to go out in it and celebrate.


Reply
Catherine Watson
30/3/2021 02:02:28 pm

Happy days indeed. Hard to ignore 6000 people, especially when councils back their communities. Anything is possible, Tim.

Reply
Meryl Tobin link
30/3/2021 02:13:25 pm

Wow, wow, wow! Great to know the Govt is listening some times! Many thanks for sharing this superb news. Those who care about our environment need a lift, especially after what some of us are going through sitting day after day in Zoom meetings for the Panel Hearing considering the proposed expansion of the Dandy Premix Quarries’ site along Bass Highway 1.1 km north of Grantville and only 300 metres from Western Port Bay. May the Minister for Planning, Richard Wynne, continue to listen to those trying to protect our precious environment in perpetuity from exploitation for unsustainable development and short term gain.

Reply
James Glover
30/3/2021 02:25:57 pm

Given everything that has been thrown at Westernport: removal of mangroves in the 19th century, channeling of water that used to move slowly through Koo Wee Rup Swamp, straight to the bay, death of sea grass in the last 50 years, it is amazing it is as vibrant an area for migrating birds and other sea life as it is. But we need to protect this precious resource from further destruction and hopefully regeneration.

Reply
Kevin Chambers
30/3/2021 03:02:39 pm

Back in my working days when running our family business, if someone did the wrong thing we had a saying.

"Once is an accident" aka Hastings Container Terminal
"Twice is careless" aka the AGL gas plant proposal
"Three times is down right stupidity" aka Kawasiki proposal to ship Hydrogen out of Western Port

We can only hope the "powers that be" adhere to this mantra.

What is also striking is that the above 3 projects that would have/still would stuff Western Port have only been proposed within the last ten years.Never mind all the other stuff EG Esse/BHP etc from the past

Someone needs to tell these clowns who put up these projects to, just... leave... us... alone...

Plus instead of spending so much time and money putting them up, just go read the "fish school" or "seabird flock" of environment reports and studies, viz The Western Port Ramsar Plan, that in plain English says, "leave the b....y joint alone..

Reply
Margaret Lee
30/3/2021 03:10:27 pm

That is fabulous news! Thanks to everyone fighting for our Westernport. Now we need to hang on to our remnant forest and stop further destruction from sandmining.

Reply
Sandra Peeters
30/3/2021 03:11:33 pm

Whoopee! Great news.
Thanks to everyone for all the hard work, with appreciation from us, the whales and all the little fishes.

Reply
Valerie Heath Levey
30/3/2021 04:18:47 pm

Great news. Well done those who objected.

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Lee Tierney
30/3/2021 04:19:52 pm

Yes, isn’t this a Marvellous win for People Power – and the difference some vehement committed mob voices can make to swell the dissent… what a relief!

Reply
Barbara Oates
30/3/2021 05:08:11 pm

Congratulations. It is an exceptional results and to the thousands of hours spent by the warriors getting the information out to the general public - THANK YOU

Reply
ian Samuel
30/3/2021 05:37:32 pm

This decision restores faith in our ability to voice public opinions and arguments based on researched facts. The support of all Councils is a landmark that has influenced Govt decision making and must be congratulated.
Well done to all, and thank you Minister Wynne for listening to your constituents

Reply
Robyn Smith
30/3/2021 05:57:56 pm

Well done it is such a relief to know my favourite place is saved. I know it has been a long and stressful process, thank you all.

Reply
Linda Cuttriss
30/3/2021 06:06:41 pm

Fabulous news! So heartening that it's still possible for a politician to make the right decision. A day to smile and say well done to the 6,000+ people who cared enough to make a submission. Hooray!!

Reply
Pamela Rothfield
30/3/2021 06:21:04 pm

What a relief! Well done to everyone who fought this battle so gallantly - just goes to show - you just never ever ever give up! Thank you Minister Wynne, thank you Bass Coast Council for listening and supporting your community.

Reply
Natasha Williams
31/3/2021 08:20:10 am

THE BEST NEWS FOR LONG TIME !!!

Well done to us !!!

Reply
Julie Box.
31/3/2021 05:04:03 pm

Great news. A leading Scientist in the area of gas power once told me that if a full tanker exploded off Cowes , the whole town and surrounding area would be flattened.
A safe outcome for everyone and the beautiful environment.
Congratulations to all concerned.

Reply



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