Preventing litter from entering Victoria Harbour

Incremental steps have been achieved since my May update, although the results have again
not been as prompt as I would have liked.

The questions regarding litter and the proposed floating boom have now been submitted to Environment Minister Enver Erdogan in parliament by Shadow Environment Minister Nick McGowan. Minister Erdogan has until June 11 to respond, and I will include his answers in my July update. See questions here and here.

Mr McGowan was also asked for a brief comment, but due to his current workload he advised he would not be able to provide one for this edition. I will recontact him before the July publication.

I continue to appreciate the written support for this litter initiative from senior representatives of The Gurner Group, the AFL, Lendlease and MAB. Their letters were addressed personally to the environment minister. I also received an email on May 5 from Robert Clark, chief development officer of The Gurner Group, who stated: “We’re happy to continue to support this initiative and prosecute the case. I will make direct contact with the minister.”

I have also asked Mr Clark whether he might encourage the other executives to personally raise the importance of this matter with the minister. He indicated he would discuss the issue with them as opportunities arose.

I am also getting closer to securing an interview with either Tom Elliott or Tony Moclair on 3AW. Should that occur, I will urge the host to seek comment from both the environment minister and the shadow minister. I will report any outcome in July.

It remains clear to me that money is not the limiting factor in progressing the proof-of-concept proposal. Development Victoria, Heritage Victoria, Parks Victoria and the City of Melbourne have all approved the installation of 145 floating “Echo” lights in Victoria Harbour for six months, reportedly costing $150,000. That figure represents about 75 per cent of the cost of a permanent rock wall at the Bolte Bridge yet is more than six times the amount required to purchase one complete floating boom.

Even taking a conservative view and assuming each boom lasts only five years rather than the manufacturer’s stated 10-year life span, that same $150,000 could deliver around 30 years of protection from rubbish entering the harbour.

The recommended boom at the Bolte Bridge is more than adequate to capture litter that would otherwise enter Victoria Harbour. Ninety-nine per cent of the rubbish in the Yarra can be classified as light litter. Parks Victoria’s maritime and waterways director Sarah Auld has stated in writing that staff time spent dealing with rubbish captured by the boom would reduce availability for environmental works, asset maintenance and public safety activities.

To me, that is effectively an admission that the boom would work. It would capture the litter and stop it entering the harbour. I can only reiterate that this objection is unacceptable, particularly given that collecting litter in the Yarra is already a task Parks Victoria is required to perform under the Parks Victoria Act 2018.

Once the proof of concept is demonstrated, a further submission will be made for a permanent solution, likely in the form of a rock wall that would complement the existing rocks lining the Yarra. At that stage, the boom could be repurposed elsewhere along the Yarra or nearby creeks.

I have still been unable to secure direct contact with the minister, despite repeated emails and calls to his office. No clarification has been volunteered, even with parliamentary questions now on notice and significant doubts raised about the advice Parks Victoria has provided.

I remain convinced that bureaucratic roadblocks from Parks Victoria and the environment minister are stalling this project. Until a positive outcome is achieved, I will continue to pursue it.

Your support for the petition remains vital and greatly appreciated. Its purpose is simple: to demonstrate to the minister that Docklands residents care deeply about their precious harbour. Politicians should care too. •

Sign the petition here.