News Archive
GOULBURN PIPELINE - Bendigo Advertiser, 26th July 2007
"Dedicate the $750 million for the pipeline to harvesting stormwater and recycling operations such as the 28 gigalitres going into the ocean at Gunnamatta."
> Click here to read the full story
Editorial, The Age, 20th June 2007
'Recycling uses less than half the energy of desalination. Because it does not require an ocean outlet to discharge brine wastes, the plant can be much closer to the city it supplies. Recycling would end the pollution from ocean outfalls discharging partially treated sewage from Melbourne's Eastern and Western treatment plants — the amount of water flowing from the Gunnamatta outfall is roughly the same as the desalination plant will produce.'
Thwaites confirms upgrade of ETP and outfall closure, The Mail, 16th May 2007
> Click here to read full article from The Mail newspaper
Decade of water down the drain, Herald Sun, 4th May 2007
'Dear Premier, I am writing to you about the outfall at Gunnamatta surf beach. The outfall is absolutely disgusting and is not a very good place to visit or swim at. Do you think the Gold Coast in Queensland would let their sewerage get pumped into the ocean? NO! Then why are you letting it happen? If you treat the sewerage it could be used for business, farmers, parks and sports grounds.' Matilda Davis , 10 years old.
> Click here to read the full story
PORT PHILLIP BAY POLLUTION - Clean Ocean Media Release
James Evans, Club Captain of Mordialloc Lifesaving Club, had to make the decision to cancel a training day due to obvious pollution in the water at Mordialloc Beach. Events like this have raised serious concerns about the safety of swimmers in Port Phillip Bay following heavy rain.
> Click here for complete press release PDF
Water 'State of Emergency' in QLD, 7th August 2006
'Queensland Premier Peter Beattie will announce details of a major plan to drought-proof the state's south-east, which could include declaring a state of emergency.' Recycling some of the 422.54 million litres dumped everyday from Queensland's 32 ocean and estuary outfalls is to be part of the proposal.
> Click here to read full story
Coast search for plant site, Herald Sun, 23rd April 2007
'Beaches along Victoria's Surf Coast & Gippsland coast are being examined as potential sites for a huge desalination plant.'
> Click here to read the full story
My vision for the future, Herald Sun, 21st February 2007
'The Premier also gave the clearest sign yet that the $2.3 billion proposal to recycle sewerage water from the Gunnamatta outfall and divert it for industrial use in the Latrobe Valley would go ahead. A $300 million project to upgrade the Eastern Treatment Plant at Carrum was about to begin, a feeder project for the bigger recycling plan.´
> Click here to read the full story
Five years down the drain, Herald Sun, 9th January 2007
'A plan to turn eastern Melbourne's sewage into usable recycled water is still to get off the ground, despite having been announced five years ago today. Federal Liberal MP Greg Hunt said more than 750 billion litres of water had been wasted over that time. Melbourne Water announced a $170 million upgrade of its Eastern Treatment Plant at Carrum on January 9, 2002.'
> Click here to read the full story
Bracks rejects recycled sewage, The Australian, 28th December 2006
'Under the Premier's water strategy, Melbourne's supplies would be boosted by a $2.4billion program to treat almost all the output of the city's main ocean sewage outfall at Gunnamatta and send it to the Latrobe Valley to cool power stations.'
> Click here to read the full story
Treatment plant upgrade must be completed by 2010, November 17th 2006
The planned upgrade of the Carrum Treatment Plant will cut the flow of sewage into the ocean at Gunnamatta by 80%. Currently an average of 430 million litres per day (42% of Melbourne's waste) is discharged at the outfall on the Mornington Peninsula every day without being recycled.
> Click here to see the 2001 MW Works Approval
'A whiff of a scandal', The Herald Sun, 10th August 2006
'Contrary to the message in the advertisements, Victoria is wasting its water on a monumental scale. However, it is not people who are wasting water, but the state that is responsible. The problem of wasted water in Victoria is simple to understand. Every year, more than 350 billion litres of partially treated sewage are pumped onto Gunnamatta Beach on the Mornington Peninsula and into Port Phillip Bay near Werribee. On any day at Gunnamatta Beach, more than 400 million litres of waste water are discharged.'
> Click here to read full story
Bracks plans water recycling boost, The Age, October 18th 2006
'The Victorian Government has unveiled a $300 million plan to upgrade a major water recycling plant in Melbourne's east... The upgrade at the Eastern Treatment Plant would allow recycled water to be used for new housing projects and power stations in the Latrobe Valley.
The proposal would also cut controversial outflows of sewage into the ocean at Gunnamatta by 80 per cent. The project is expected to be completed by 2012.'
Greens pledge 'big stink', The Mail, October 12th 2006
'Candidates for The Greens went to Gunnamatta last week to reinforce a promise to continue making a big stink about the Gunnamatta sewage outfall during the state election.' The Green's Henry Kelsall said: 'The Clean Ocean Foundation has remained apoltical at all times and worked tirelessly on this issue at great personal expense...If it wasn't for them nothing would ever have happened.'
$600 Million Missing! - $50 Million Squandered! But the outfalls still flow?
Clean Ocean 'front for Libs', ALP claim. The Mail, September 21st, 2006
'If Labor wants to convene a public meeting the foundation would be very supportive of such an activity. Bring it on'
Bracks backs waste-water plan, The Herald Sun, September 13th, 2006
'The scheme to divert the treated water to Gippsland would cut by about 80 per cent the 135 billion litres of sewage from Melbourne that flows into the ocean at Gunnamatta.'
< Click here to read the full story
Bracks' water recycle claim 'A big swindle', The Age, 27th August, 2006
The front page of the Sunday Age featured: 'Billions of litres of water are being wastefully dumped into Port Phillip Bay each year by the Bracks Government, which has been accused of misleading Victoria about the amount of water it recycles.'
> Click here to read full story
New plan to recycle water at all NSW outfalls, 27th July 2006
NSW oppostion leader Peter Debnam and Shadow Minister for Utilities Andrew Stoner today announced they intend to recycle and re-use water at all ocean outfalls off the NSW coastline.
< Click here to read full media release
Where has the money to fix Gunnamatta gone? 20th July, 2006
 
'The Howard Government has demanded the states stop stripping hundreds of millions of dollars in profits from water authorities and reinvest the funds into overdue infrastructure projects... The biggest raider was Victoria, which stripped almost $1.6 billion from its metropolitan water authorities.'
> Read the full story 'States told to stop looting water utilities of cash' from the Australian Newspaper
Howard urges water recycling, 17th July, 2006
Australia's Prime Minister John Howard has embraced the concept of urban water re-use that Clean Ocean has campaigned so hard for over many years. Mr. Howard recently announced that he will urge the states to recycle in an effort to "drought-proof our large coastal cities".
> Read fully story here
The Sunday Age, 18th June, 2006
Research by the Clean Ocean Foundation has found that National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines used by Melbourne Water to classify Gunnamatta as 'very good' are below World Health Organisation standards. These findings were featured in the article 'Gunnamatta 'very good' despite sewage in the Sunday Age.
The Sunday Age, 21st May, 2006
The Sunday Age, 30th April, 2006
 > Click here to read full article
Clean Ocean Foundation has revealed John Thwaite's plan to hide all the surf zone water testing results from the public until the end of 2006. Upon recieving this information from the Foundation, the Sunday Age ran this story highlighting the risks to beach users on the Mornington Peninsula.
The Sunday Age, 2nd April 2006
> Click here to read - A beach where the waves are truly sick
> Click here to read the editorial - Something to be frothed up about at Gunnamatta
Australia's Surfing Life magazine, June 2006 - www.surfinglife.com.au
'Turd Warriors Bust Vicco Government' heads an article concerning the activities of Clean Ocean in this months Surfling Life magazine. > Click here for the full story.
Weekend Sessions 3 CD, Available Now!
 < Click here to order from Liberation Music
The latest volume in Liberation's successful Weekend Session series was released early March and it's a doozy. The Weekend Sessions series spreads the word of the Clean Ocean Foundation's mission through music. This year there are 16 tracks – including exclusives from Michael Franti and Spearhead, Ash Grunwald, Rhombus, ALO* Animal Liberation Orchestra and The Commas.
NEW SEWAGE PLANT FOR 13th BEACH, 5th May 2006
Shadow Environment Minister, David Davis, has joined with Surf Coast locals to oppose a new sewage processing factory being built just metres from the sand at 13th Beach. Davis stated 'The Bracks Government is ignoring the community's wish to have this factory built at a more appropriate site'. The 13th Beach site is part of a sensitive coastal zone where development of this nature should be blocked by the Coastal Spaces policy.
> Click here to see full statement from David Davis
SPATE OF SICKNESS AT GUNNAMATTA, ST. ANDREWS & RYE OCEAN BEACHES, 24th April 2006
Clean Ocean has received a surge of medical response forms from sick beach users since Feb. 18th and this trend has continued into April. The Foundation uses these cases to study the dangers of surfing and swimming in an ocean inundated with outfall discharge.
> Download a medical response form
TESTS REVEAL GUNNAMATTA OUTFALL IS CAUSE OF TOXIC PLUME, 20th March 2006
> View full media statement from David Davis, Victoria's Shadow Minister for Environment
DIRECT LINK FOUND BETWEEN OUTFALL & DIATOM BLOOMS ON MORNINGTON PENINSULA BEACHES, 16th March 2006
Clean Ocean Foundation has determined that the water discolouration and odour present at Rye, St Andrews and Gunnamatta beaches over the last 4 weeks is the direct result of sewage discharge at Gunnamatta.
Testing conducted in the diatom bloom not only revealed Clostridium perfringens (a bacterial indicator of faecal contamination) throughout the bloom but toxic ammonia at concentrations far exceeding the EPA's Recommended Water Quality Criteria. The results confirmed that sewage discharge from the Gunnamatta outfall was present in the diatom bloom.*
*Mr George Tsivoulidis of the EPA said there was no evidence to suggest the outfall was responsible. (THE MAIL,14/3/2006). Ben Pratt of Melbourne Water states there was no indication the water conditions were connected with it's sewage outfall. (THE AGE,10/3/2006).
Sponsor: SWELLNET - 5 day surf forecasts for all coasts of Australia
DAVID DAVIS 'LABOUR MUST CLEAN UP RYE BEACH', 9th March 2006
Click below to download Victoria's Shadow Minister for Environment press releases created in response to the recent algal bloom engulfing Mornington Peninsula Ocean Beaches.
> Labour must clean up rye beach - shut the Gunnamatta Outfall
> Liberal Position & Statement on Gunnamatta Outfall
BACK BEACHES FILTHY AS POLLUTION STRETCHES 8kms ALONG PENINSULA, 7 March 2006
 < Click for larger image
A huge algal bloom has spread from the outfall and appears to be getting bigger. Subsequently there has been a sudden upsurge in sickness and odour in the area.
The water at the beaches of St. Andrews, Rye & Snatches is now almost totally brown. The discolouration and stench has spread at least 8km along the entire shoreline from the outfall at Boags Rocks and has been sighted as far away as Heyfield Road in Rye.
> Click here to make a pollution report or complain to the EPA
NOXIOUS OUTFALL POLLUTION AT ST. ANDREWS BEACH, 20 Feb 2006
 < Click for larger image
The weekend of 18-19 of Feb 2006 saw what was described as 'the worst pollution at Rye and St. Andrews Back Beaches for 25 years'. Clean Ocean Foundation received an immediate influx of pollution reports, medical response forms and accounts of sickness from beach users.
Above: The incident was reported in the Mail Newspaper on 23 Feb 2006.
MELBOURNE WATER WITHHOLDS POOR WATER QUALITY RESULTS
Melbourne Water has once again failed the community by removing surf zone water quality results previously available on their website. Now only results from their shoreline testing are being made available to the public.
Rather than looking at ways of improving the quality of the sewage discharged or implementing suitable warning systems to reduce adverse health effects, Melbourne Water has once again opted for an easy fix by withholding important data on water quality at the expense of the public.
On June 9th 2005, water monitoring at Gunnamatta and St. Andrews revealed Enterococci concentrations at levels signifying a > 33% chance of contracting illness. Considering an average of 1276 people use this area per day, up to 446 people may have got sick on that day. Yet the new update on Melbourne Waters website shows zero Enterococci concentrations for this date and effectively eliminates any of their liability.
Poetry - even the children understand how precious our beaches are....!
Click here to download I know a place Poem by Gabi Panozzo
COV ART - Art Auction - Click here for catalogue and information
NEWS FLASH: Bob Carr’s resignation as NSW premier has taken Clean Ocean by surprise. As no runner up ‘Wally of the Year’ was elected in 04, nominations have reopened for the 2005 Wally position… email info@cleanocean.org with your nomination.
Seasol becomes Platinum Sponsor – July 29, 2005. Seasol has made a huge effort in helping COF spread the good word. As well as being generous benefactors of the foundation, they display the Clean Ocean logo on all of their products, and are active in steering their customers towards environmentally friendly practices. Best of all, they are 100% Australian owned and operated.
AWA News - July 24, 2005. A series of water supply indexes being developed by NSW State Water & Sydney Futures Exchange (SFE) could be used as a basis for farmers to hedge against the biggest risk to their farm enterprise - the weather
AWA News - July 24, 2005. Researchers from the Environmental Biotechnology CRC (EBCRC) based at the University of QLD have announced that they have successfully developed a technology to remove high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewaters using advanced biotechnology. (Web)
Fact Sheet Friday, July 8, 2005. Melbourne Water daily breaches their license requirements and fails to meet the requirements of the State Environment Protection Policy. Odour, foam and debris on the beach are daily breaches of the license.
Newspaper - July 5, 2005 - Cash to help Save Water
Dieter Kraus Art Exhibition Thurday, June 16, 2005. - (On now) Dieter Kraus's, I Would Give Him the Earth? at the Vanguard Gallery in Northcote, is an exhibition that investigates our way of life in a modern world and our relationship with the natural environment; questioning the effects of popular consumption upon our needs and desires. In response to his new born baby the exhibition title asks, I would give him the Earth? As tenants is it ours to give or ruin, what kind of world are we passing on to our children?
Weekend Sessions 2 - The collection features a favourite track from New Zealand's Salmonella Dub who have returned to their acoustic roots with the fine track 'Longtime' which sets the tone for the entire collection...as they say "it's good to see you again my friend".
Big Dumper - Thursday, June 9,2005. (National) Sydney Water has been cited as dumping seven times the amount of primary sewage into the ocean compared to any other water utility. Greg Hunt MP and Malcolm Turnbull MP commented on the issue, Turnbull saying,"What is not acceptable, at a time when Australia's largest city faces dramatic water shortages, is to allow the pollution to accumulate, the waste to continue and to stop others from investing to clean up the coast and reuse the water."
World Water Development Report - Friday April 29 2005. Hey policy makers. Get some great tips and pointers on what we should be doing with our precious water resources. This is the Bourke's Backyard of water.
Sydney Morning Herald - Friday, April 1, 2005. Surfer's rough ride in the epicentre. No one mentioned the word tsunami, but it was all Angus Honey and Marcus Keeshan could think about as their boat was tossed like a cork on the surging ocean.
World Water Day - Tuesday, March 22, 2005. (National) The Clean Ocean Foundation has awarded Bob Carr "Water Wally 2005" for his success in dumping the highest volume of waste water of any state in the country into the ocean on a daily basis. Victoria's Steve Bracks, who was earlier this year banned by Clean Ocean members from surfing at all Victorian Beaches, has come in at a close second...
Honour World Water Day - Monday, March 21, 2005. (National) Mr Greg Hunt MP, federal Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment and Mr Phil Honeywood MLA, Victorian Shadow spokesperson for the Environment, have called on the Victorian Government to use World Water Day to improve testing requirements for the Gunnamatta outfall and upgrade the Eastern Treatment Plant...
Turnbull Talks - 17 March, 2005. (NSW) Sydney’s dams are less than half full. Water restrictions are likely to be permanent. Our city is running out of water...
Tsunami Supa Gig - Sunday 27 Feb, 2005. (Vic) WorldVision, Oxfam Australia, RedCross & Clean Ocean Foundation are taking part in the Tsunami Supa Gig - A great event proudly hosted by Loose Ends, Soul Management and the Peninsula Lounge... media release
VICHANSARD - February 23, 2005. (Vic) The Minister for the Environment showed his contempt and arrogance by flouting the ban in arriving with his police escort and a surfboard on the roof of his ministerial car, and surfing at the beach he is responsible for polluting... more
MP Anger - February 15, 2005. (Vic) SOUTH East Water should be ``heavily fined'' for allowing the spill into the bay, peninsula Liberal MP Martin Dixon said last week. Mr Dixon, who is also acting Opposition spokesman on the environment, said he was ``absolutely stunned'' by the February 3 incident at the Mornington... Full Story
Clean Ocean TV - February 8, 2005. (National) The Channel is a new studio based discussion style program being produced by Clean Ocean Foundation to provide information on environmental and sustainability issues.
Ecofest - February 3, 2005. (Vic) Ecofest is a one-day festival run on Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula that provides a range of activities for the whole family and aiming to inform the community about conscious earth awareness and sustainable living practices by providing information on relevant environmental issues, workshops, demonstrations and the opportunity to network amongst like-minded people in a relaxed and enjoyable space. Come visit Clean Ocean at Eco Fest.
Wish List - January 15, 2005. (National) Make a clecan Ocean Wish come true in 2005.
Channel Deepening - 2005. Whilst the Clean Ocean Foundation supports the expansion of the Port of Melbourne, at this time it cannot support the current proposal due to inadequacies in its assessment of the environmental, economic and temporal impacts that relate to the works... more
Herald Sun - January 4, 2005. (Vic) STATE Parliament surfer-boy John “Hang-Ten” Thwaites is in exalted company. He now has 11 parliamentary colleagues with coastal electorates, banned from beaches by the Clean Ocean Foundation, self-appointed watchdogs of Victoria coastline.
Bracks Beach Ban - January 3, 2005. (Vic) The crowd moved a motion on mass to extend a previous ‘Beach Ban’ that was placed on Environment Minister, John Thwaites, to the eleven other State Labor members who hold coastal electorates (including Steve Bracks) from Victorian beaches.
Asia Earthquake - January 1, 2005. (Wrold) Australian NGOs are providing emergency assistance to the many communities in Sri Lanka, the Maldives, India, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia that were devastated by the massive earthquake overnight and you can help - click here
The Australian - December 17, 2004. (National) It will be interesting to hear what Melbourne Water thinks about being compared with the Ukrainian security service, the SBU, which is suspected of poisoning poor Viktor.
E-news - 15 December, 2004. (World) The Portsea Camp is one of Australia’s oldest and best children’s charity camps and just to rub it in they are putting on one of the best films since Attack of the Killer Tomatoes… Bondi Tsunami is the new high profile Japanese Surf film set in Australia...
The Age - December 13, 2004. (Vic) Bracks urged to tackle Gunnamatta waste
3AW / ROSS WARNEKE - December 13, 2004. (Vic) Okay, something a little more serious. The Gunnamatta waste problem has been put on the back burner again. Now, if … you might not know about this, but if you’re travelling around the Mornington Peninsula, you’ll quite often see a lot of cars, including mine, and it’s got a sticker on the back saying, clean ocean. It’s a campaign being run to basically clean up the waste that is being dumped from … by Melbourne Water off the coast at Gunnamatta down on the peninsula.
The Mail – December 9, 2004. (Vic) If a private company were to pollute Victorian beaches to the extent that Melbourne Water has, they could face criminal prosecution.
Parliament House / Hansard - December 8, 2004. (Vic) Under the Liberal plan ... we would immediately upgrade the eastern treatment plant... scrap this government's 2 kilometre plant extension at the Gunnamatta outfall pipe. (We) would close the Gunnamatta outfall by the year 2015 (and) also close Victoria's 18 sewerage outfalls into the ocean by 2025 and identify and implement new technologies for large-scale treatment and reuse of recycled water.
Sydney Morning Herald - November 26, 2004 (NSW) November 26, 2004. Waxing whimsical: new wave art turns out to be a real ripper
Grass Roots Feedback- 25 October. (Vic) Thanks to all those that attended Grass Roots it was an amazing night. Everyone I've spoken to had a great night and we were able to raise $1100 - not bad for a first go! Thanks to the staff and management of the Mercat Cross Hotel for making it happened and their incredible support.
Harvest festival – 16 October. (Vic) Hey folks, the Red Hill Harvest Festival (2005) is coming around again and this time it will be held over two big days - 22 & 23 January. Harvest festival – 16 October. (Vic) Hey folks, the Red Hill Harvest Festival (2005) is coming around again and this time it will be held over two big days - 22 & 23 January.
Education – 15 October. (Vic) Frankston High School Student, Kelly Horton, is one of the growing number of students who have decided to use Clean Ocean as a case study for a school project.
Progress Leader – 14 October. (Vic) Clean Ocean intern, Julian Polachek, gets back to the Grass Roots.
Hang 12 - 13 October. (National) Exhibition dates are now available.
Clean Ocean Mega Media Merger - 12 October. (National) Look out ACCC and AFP, Clean Ocean is breaking all the cross media ownership laws in the book in an attempt to re-educate the planet! The Foundation is now providing Coastalwatch (which is in the top ten of visited sports websites in Australia) with their environmental news updates.
Grass Roots - 10 October. (Vic) Tickets still available 4 the Mercat Cross Hotel on Friday 22 October - 456 Queen Street Melbourne. We have Dj's, live bands and even some special surprises. Get ready for roots, reggae, funk, hiphop and D'N'B - for a great cause!
Election 04 - 9 October. (National) More information on the campaign page - click here
Flinders - 8 October. (Vic) As stated in the enews, in the electorate of Flinders (Vic) COF has not endorsed one party over another at any point in the election campaign (including on postcards flyers or how-to-vote cards). Any comments made by the Foundation have been on a personal level and not taken the form of a political party / candidate endorsement. Flinders is a unique seat where both candidates have done an incredible amount of work to put Gunnamatta on the federal agenda. Since the federal policies are both quite good, we encourage people to vote for whoever they trust to implement policy commitments made in this seat!
Bill Pemberton - 5 October. (National) No one has been more crucial in The Greens party than Bill Pemberton, Australian Greens Candidate for Deakin . As a long time active member of Surfrider Foundation and still the Melbourne Beach rep, he has been extensively involved in the issue of the Gunnamatta ocean outfall and has been a member of the community liaison panel for the ETP...
The Mail - 30 September. (National) A national attitude change to how we treat the ocean started right here… Marginal seats hang in the balance, election time draws ever closer and Clean Ocean is increasing the pressure.'
The Mail - 30 September. (Vic) Thwaites: ‘we’re serious’ Study to look at industrial, agricultural re-use options that could stem outfall flow by 80 per cent...
ALP release - 28 September. (Vic) Media Release from Labor candidate for Flinders
Thwaites comes clean - 28 September. (Vic) Media Release from the Minister for Water
Peter Garrett - 27 September. (Vic/National) Let’s get these seas clean mate, lets get these seas clean.
The Mail - 23 September. (Vic / National) Labor’s largest pledge on Gunnamatta was made by Shadow Environment Minister Kelvin Thomson and candidate for Flinders Simon Napthine...
Labor Release - 22 September. (National) Napthine and Thomson's river of good policy.
The Leader - 21 September. (Vic) Liberal water plan needs specific commitments
Liberal Release - 20 September. (National) Hunt for blue October
The Mail - 16 September. (National) A NEW federal government water conservation policy, of which closing the Gunnamatta outfall is a key component has been met with caution by the Clean Ocean Foundation…
News.com - 15 September. (SA, Vic) Plan to save, store stormwater
Daily Telegraph - 14 September. (NSW, Vic) State's attack Libs water package
The Age - 14 September. (Vic) Minister warned over bay dredging
ABC PM - 13 September. (National) Fed Govt announces water fund
The Age - 11 September (Vic) Port pushes for dynamite over technology
Democrats - 7 September. (National) Download the Democrats issue sheet (pdf)
The Greens - 6 September. (National) Water and Inland Aquatic Environments
ALP Platform - 5 September. (National) Framework for a National Water Policy
Plastic Bags - 3 September. (National) Coalition Can’t Even Shoplift Labor’s Policy
October 9 Federal Election - 29 August. (National) Campaign strategy of promoting good policy
Grass roots is coming - 25 August. (Vic) It's going to be huge. Stay tuned Clean Ocean supporters.......PeAce
Channel Deepening – 16 August. (Vic) Clean Ocean supports independent inquiry...
The Age - 13 August. (National) Federal Liberal MP Greg Hunt calls for an end to all ocean outfalls in Australia by 2025. Prime Minister John Howard signalled...
The Independent - 10 August. (National) There is now a strong chance of a bi-partisan approach to this issue
Labor Visits Gunnamatta – 2 August. (National) ALP shadow environment minister, Kelvin Thomson and ALP Flinders candidate Simon Napthine visited Gunnamatta Beach.
HIAB & Surfrider - 1 August. (National) Clean Ocean is working with the Surfrider Foundation to conduct surveys for the Human Impact on Australian Beaches from Port Philip Bay to the NSW border.
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2007
DESALINATION ESS MUST BE CONDUCTED - Clean Ocean Media Release, 20th Dec 2007
The common misconception that the brine stream byproduct of desalination is 'just salt' has been challenged by warnings of heavy metals and industrial chemicals in the discharge. Comprehensive Environmental Effects Statements must completed before any deaslination plant can be constructed anywhere on Australia's coastline & the more environmentally friendly alternative of water recycling must first be considered.
> Click here for complete press release PDF
UTILITIES ARE WASTING OUR PRECIOUS WATER - The Age, 14th Dec 2007
 < Click here
'The Melbourne Water Corporation sends almost 300 gigalitres of partially treated waste water into Bass Strait each year even though the water could be recycled for Melbourne's industry belts. Discarding this treated water is akin to sending all of Melbourne's bottles, cans, papers and cardboard to landfill instead of recycling them'.
> Click here for the full story
PULP MILL & NEW BASS STRAIT OUTFALL APPROVED BY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT - 5th Oct 2007
'Concerns focus on the impact on Bass Strait of 64,000 tonnes of effluent being dumped each day. Oceanographer Stuart Godfrey and two other scientists told Dr Peacock's committee that toxic effluent would wash ashore.'
'The federal environmental guidelines allow for dioxins to be dumped at a rate of 3.4 trillionths of a gram per litre. But the mill plans to dump 73 million litres of effluent a day into Bass Strait.'
> Click here to read 'Pulp mill can pump dioxins under new guidelines' - The Age, 21st August 2007
> Click here to help with the campaign to oppose the pulp mill
OUTFALL PLANNED FOR EVAN'S HEAD, NSW - ABC, 2nd Aug 2007
'The Evans Head water committee says the decision to go ahead with plans for an ocean outfall near the northern New South Wales town's main beach is hypocrisy'.
> Click here to read the full story
GOULBURN PIPELINE - Bendigo Advertiser, 26th July 2007
"Dedicate the $750 million for the pipeline to harvesting stormwater and recycling operations such as the 28 gigalitres going into the ocean at Gunnamatta."
> Click here to read the full story
Editorial, The Age, 20th June 2007
'Recycling uses less than half the energy of desalination. Because it does not require an ocean outlet to discharge brine wastes, the plant can be much closer to the city it supplies. Recycling would end the pollution from ocean outfalls discharging partially treated sewage from Melbourne's Eastern and Western treatment plants — the amount of water flowing from the Gunnamatta outfall is roughly the same as the desalination plant will produce.'
Thwaites confirms upgrade of ETP and outfall closure, The Mail, 16th May 2007
> Click here to read full article from The Mail newspaper
Decade of water down the drain, Herald Sun, 4th May 2007
'Dear Premier, I am writing to you about the outfall at Gunnamatta surf beach. The outfall is absolutely disgusting and is not a very good place to visit or swim at. Do you think the Gold Coast in Queensland would let their sewerage get pumped into the ocean? NO! Then why are you letting it happen? If you treat the sewerage it could be used for business, farmers, parks and sports grounds.' Matilda Davis , 10 years old.
> Click here to read the full story
PORT PHILLIP BAY POLLUTION - Clean Ocean Media Release
James Evans, Club Captain of Mordialloc Lifesaving Club, had to make the decision to cancel a training day due to obvious pollution in the water at Mordialloc Beach. Events like this have raised serious concerns about the safety of swimmers in Port Phillip Bay following heavy rain.
> Click here for complete press release PDF
Coast search for plant site, Herald Sun, 23rd April 2007
'Beaches along Victoria's Surf Coast & Gippsland coast are being examined as potential sites for a huge desalination plant.'
> Click here to read the full story
My vision for the future, Herald Sun, 21st February 2007
'The Premier also gave the clearest sign yet that the $2.3 billion proposal to recycle sewerage water from the Gunnamatta outfall and divert it for industrial use in the Latrobe Valley would go ahead. A $300 million project to upgrade the Eastern Treatment Plant at Carrum was about to begin, a feeder project for the bigger recycling plan.´
> Click here to read the full story
Five years down the drain, Herald Sun, 9th January 2007
'A plan to turn eastern Melbourne's sewage into usable recycled water is still to get off the ground, despite having been announced five years ago today. Federal Liberal MP Greg Hunt said more than 750 billion litres of water had been wasted over that time. Melbourne Water announced a $170 million upgrade of its Eastern Treatment Plant at Carrum on January 9, 2002.'
> Click here to read the full story
2008
Why is water recycling being overlooked? The Age, 20th November 2008
John Morgan, managing director of Melbourne Water 1995-98, speaks out:
'According to Morgan the desal plant is a waste of money. He pointed out that at the sewerage treatment plant at Carrum, 70% of the purification work to bring the water up to potable standards has already been done. This alternative would cost only a fraction of water from the desal plant. If this class A water was cleaned up to potable standard and pumped into the Silvan reservoir, which distributes water to 80% of Melbourne, it would cost a fraction of the water from the desal plant'.
> Click here for the full story
As expected, both the Yarra and LaTrobe options came up too expensive to invest in. Instead smaller localised options will take priority.
This brings up some questions.... Why was the business case started when it was destined to fail from the start? How can a pipeline to the La Trobe Valley cost $3.9 Billion, when a whole new Desalination plant is $3.1 billion? When will Tim Holding stop lying about the environmental benefits at Gunnamatta from the upgrade alone? FRESH WATER IS A MAIN POLLUTANT. Will the smaller projects in Tim Holding's Press Release take too long, end up costing MORE and never actually close the outfall? When will the Mt Martha (Mornington) Treatment Plant be upgraded to Class A? IT IS STILL CLASS C, STILL DISCHARGES AT GUNNAMATTA AND WILL CONTINUE BEYOND 2012.
And read OLGA GALACHO's flaming of Timmy in the Thursday 2nd July's Herald Sun
There is also a story in the Southern Peninsula Mail
Secure our water - sustainably!
John Brumby on 22% Water recycling."...the level of recycling has come up from 14 gigalitres, 14 billion litres, to 65 billion litres. It’s meant that there’s a huge amount of recycled water, which is no longer just being pumped out to sea..."
LIE. Massive amounts of water are 'recycled' at the treatment plants and flushed back into the system.... into the pipe to the sea.
Tim Holding ".....we improve the ocean water quality at Gunnamatta (TRUE... ISH...) where this treated water is currently discharged. So this is a real win-win: it’s a win for the environment, because it means that we’ll get better ocean water quality"
Hmmm remembering that FRESH WATER is the main pollutant. It will only be a 'WIN' when the flow is dramatically reduced or stopped.
"Gunnamatta is STILL polluted and will be until beyond 2012, despite an upgrade of the Eastern Treatment Plant to Advanced Water Treatment (Class A). The promise of outfall closure is fading long into the future, with options to use all Class A recycled water in one hit, deemed too expensive."
"The main pollutant at Gunnamatta is Fresh Water as researched by the EPA and CSIRO, the upgrade alone WILL NOT fix the Environmental wasteland at Gunnamatta as Tim Holding and Melb. Water Managing Director Rob Skinner falsely claim. It will only fix the BREACH of EPA license guidelines at the outfall, and reduce the HEALTH EFFECTS that surfers and beach users have suffered since 1974."
"With other environmentally damaging and expensive options chosen to ‘secure’ Melbourne’s water, NO MONEY is left to SECURE OUR WATER SUSTAINABLY!" Clean Ocean Crew
"The Thin Green Line" Event not to be missed supporting International Wildlife Rangers.
On July 31st in Victoria, Australia, we will be having a great night of music wine and song and fundraising for the Thin Green Line foundations work.Held at Hickinbotham Winery of Dromana. Tickets are $50 or $85 for a 3 course meal. and show... There will be 3 top music acts, comedy, auctions all in the picturesque and toasty Barrel Barn of Hickinbotham Winery on the Mornington Peninsula. ONLY 200 TIX available.
More details: sean@thingreenline.info
Call to recycle all water and ban outfalls, The Age, 3rd June 2009.
"We should be ending, in effect, outfalls to waterways and oceans like the Gunnamatta outfall, and Government should be committing to finding users for that water that will be recycled."
> Click here for the full story
Concern over southern wastewater pipe, ABC News, 20th May 2009
The 'South Australian Government must clarify if an ocean outfall pipe being built at Christies Beach will send millions of litres of stormwater out to sea'.
> Click here for the full story
http://www.petitiononline.com/GunnaMNP/
Rally "No More" Gunnamatta Outcomes
Gunnamatta Rally - Our local member of parliament Martin Dixon has
told the Clean Ocean Rally that the opposition don't think there is
enough public support for upgrading the Eastern Treatment Plant to
purified recycled water standard! This is the standard used in all of
Brisbane's treatment plants which allows them to use ALL the waste
water for all manner of industrial and agricultrual purposes. Email
the words "No More Outfall" to Water Minister Tim Holding
(timothy.holding@parliament.vic.gov.au), and cc Martin Dixon
(martin.dixon@parliament.vic.gov.au) and Clean Ocean Foundation
(info@cleanocean.org): let them know you want to see the water pouring
from Australia's 144 ocean outfalls re-used!
Purified Recycled Water: The Smarter Water Option Ignored
Clean Ocean Foundation has stepped up the campaign on Purified Recycled Water, due to the Brumby Governments current Water Strategy ignoring the need to have the Gunnamatta outfall completely closed. With current reports also doubting if the North South pipeline is in fact viable, Melbourne needs to impliment full reuse of its existing water resources before stealing water from the Murray.
The Water Smart report obtained under FOI by Clean Ocean reveals that potable reuse of recycled water was the only strategy which would allow the complete closure of Melbournes's ocean wastewater outfalls and create approximatly 475 GL of potable water each year. Why this option has been overlooked is of great concern to all Australians.
The Facts on Purified Recycled Water compaired to Desalination are in our report in the link BELOW
> Click for Clean Ocean Purified Recycled Water Facts
>Click here for Clean Ocean Media Release on "Water Smart Report"
For a copy of "Water Smart 'Water Supply- Demand Strategy for Melbourne (Water Substitution)' April 2006" Report Please Contact Anton < HERE >
GUNNAMATTA WASTE AN 'OPTION'- The Age, 27th Aug 2008
'An ambitious plan to use Melbourne's recycled sewage to cool Gippsland power stations has been all but abandoned, meaning the billions of litres of treated effluent are now likely to flow into the Yarra River. But in a twist, both options — the subject of year-long feasibility studies — may be overlooked by the Government, with insiders confirming the current practice of pumping effluent to sea at Gunnamatta has re-emerged as an option'.
> Click here for the full story
> Download National Outfall Database - Victoria
CRESCENT HEAD OUTFALL, NSW - 7th July 2008
Research by the Clean Ocean Foundation has found strong support for a higher standard of treatment and increased water recycling at Crescent Head, NSW. The wastewater outfall is located in close proximity to the newly declared National Surfing Reserve in an area popular with fishermen, surfers and swimmers.
Download water quality report and outfall map PDF( 240 kb)
PERTH DESALINATION PLANT BREACHES ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINES - 18th April, 2008
'The Water Corporation has been forced to slash production at its Kwinana desalination plant after oxygen levels in Cockburn Sound fell below the minimum levels set as part of the project’s strict operating conditions'.
> Click here for the full story
ARE AUSTRALIANS SAFE AT THE BEACH? - 1st April, 2008
The Clean Ocean Foundation has released a report into the status of bacterial water quality standards for recreational waters in Australia. This document is part of the the Clean Ocean Foundation National Outfall Database initiative and is available below:
> Click here for full press release
> Click here for the complete report
EASTERN TREATMENT PLANT TRIAL
BEGINS - 28th Feb, 2008
The Eastern Treatment Plant has begun trialling treatment methods to be used in it's upgrade that will produce Class A recycled water by 2012. "Not only will we increase the volume of recycled water than Melburnians have access to, but also we improve the ocean water quality at Gunnamatta where this treated water is currently discharged," said Victorian Water Minister Tim Holding.
> Click here for full story
SILICONE FOULS BEACHES - The Mail, 6th Feb 2008
 < Click here for full news article
'The Environment Protection Agency is investigating silicone flakes washed up at Gunnamatta Beach....'
2006
Water 'State of Emergency' in QLD, 7th August 2006
'Queensland Premier Peter Beattie will announce details of a major plan to drought-proof the state's south-east, which could include declaring a state of emergency.' Recycling some of the 422.54 million litres dumped everyday from Queensland's 32 ocean and estuary outfalls is to be part of the proposal.
> Click here to read full story
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