Channel Deepening: Bay Food
Chain at Risk
by Neil Blake
The Channel Deepening project involves dredging the southern and
northern extremities of Port Phillip Bay. The complexity of the
project and the distinct differences between these locations warrants
separate environmental assessments for each area.
This paper summarises concerns in the north of the bay.
The central 'northern' issue is that continuous dredging in the
Yarra River and Hobsons Bay, over two consecutive spring and summer
periods poses a serious risk for the ecology of Port Phillip Bay.
Icon species such as dolphins and penguins ultimately rely on the
successful breeding of smaller species to survive.
There is no certainty that the project will not pose a serious
risk to spawning of Southern anchovies, a species that is of critical
importance to the higher food chain in Port Phillip Bay (PPB); and
black bream, an important species for the recreational fishery.
A crash in the Southern anchovy population would be disastrous
for the St Kilda penguin colony and have serious implications for
the significant proportion of the Phillip Island penguins that overwinter
in PPB.
Southern anchovy and Black bream are believed to spawn during this
period in the Yarra-Hobsons Bay region, but specific locations are
not known.
At least two Expert Witnesses engaged by the Port of Melbourne
Corporation for the project have acknowledged that the impact of
dredging on the Southern anchovy spawning season is uncertain.
The reliance on anchovies as prey for penguins, other seabirds,
larger fishes, and dolphins has become critical since the pilchard
population crashed in the 1990s.
Conclusions of EES Consultants on the issue of turbidity and nutrients
impacting on primary production are unconvincing due to fundamentally
flawed modelling. All modelling related to turbidity and sediment
transport for the EES was done using seawater; assuming a constant
salinity, and therefore not representative of waters in the Yarra
and Hobsons Bay.
The combination of dredge impacts and natural background levels
of turbidity and nutrient influx in the Yarra River and Hobsons
Bay during spring and summer represents a high risk to primary production,
and breeding success of fishes and seabirds.
This conclusion is based on an examination of the adverse impacts
of dredging in relation to:
- Higher monthly rainfall and associated higher nutrient loading
in the water column
- Greater daily average hours of sunlight
- Prevailing southerly winds and wave action
- The type of equipment likely to be deployed within the confines
of the port
- The predominance of finer particles in the substrate to be dredged
- Release of toxins to the water column from dredged sediments
- Seasonally vulnerable fish populations
'Increased rainfall' in spring-summer can be translated as 'increased
nutrients' as heavy rain events flush nutrients from the wider catchment.
The EES Water quality and sediment transport modelling did not
include freshwater pulses associated with thunderstorms.
The combination of excessive nutrient loads and greater average
hours of sunlight can cause algal blooms that de-oxygenate the water
leading to dieback of organisms.
Seasonally vulnerable fish spawning in Northern PPB during spring
and summer include:
- Snapper breed on reefs between St Kilda and Ricketts Point
between November - March
- Black bream spawn in the Yarra estuary from October to December
- Southern anchovies spawn October to March
'Irreversible Damage' to a species is most likely to occur when
all ages (adults, eggs, larvae, and juveniles) are concentrated
within a restricted geographic area.
Destruction of habitat at this time can cause the death of a significant
sample of the population resulting in overall loss of genetic stock
available to future generations.
This permanent loss reduces the species ability to adapt to future
habitat change, and is therefore 'irreversibly damaged'.
Newsletter Contents
Westgate Park Photography Competition
Entries are invited for an exhibition to be held at the Gasworks
Park, Pickles Street, South Melbourne, from late February to March
2005.
Closing date for entries is 11th February and the winner will receive
$200 of photographic lab services from FINEPRINT.
Basically the rules are:
- A maximum of 6 images or photos per entry
- There are no restrictions on how many times you can enter
- However, display of multiple entries from an individual will
be subject to space
- Entries must be submitted as digital or photographic prints
no smaller than 203 x 254 mm (8 x 10 inches) and no bigger than
329 x 483 mm (13 x 19 inches
For more information:
Phone: (03) 9534 0670
Web: Page no longer active
or drop by the EcoCentre
Newsletter Contents
EcoCentre Recognition and Awards
Merit Award in the Environment Category
The surrounding landscape of the Port Phillip EcoCentre and the
north west corner of the St Kilda Botanical Gardens have received
recognition of excellence at the recently announced 2004 Australian
Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) Victoria Awards.
The Merit Award in the Environment category was awarded to the
contributors: Martin Reeves in association with Landarche, Peter
Ho in association with Phooey, Aspect, and the City of Port Phillip.
The award recognises the collaborative efforts of a combined group
of concerned and proactive community organisations, landscape architects,
architects and council.
The award also recognises the vision of local community-based environment
group, Earthcare St Kilda, who conceived the EcoHouse Project in
1999. They presented the EcoHouse Masterplan on World Environment
Day 2000 as a result of intensive community design workshops.
The landscape of the EcoCentre demonstrates environmentally sustainable
design and water sensitive urban design principles and techniques.
View
the ALIA merit awards list
Recognition in Australia’s Year of the
Built Environment 2004 The EcoHouse Project was recently
recognised in Australia’s Year of the Built Environment 2004
(YBE 2004) Exemplars Program; named as an Exemplar in two of the
Year of the Built Environment 2004 themes:
- Towards Sustainable Communities
- Design for All
The YBE 2004 Exemplars Program is a national initiative to encourage
and celebrate the innovations, businesses, individuals, governments
and projects that are making a difference within the built environment.
View
the full list of YBE 2004 Exemplars
Elster Creek Guided Walks
by Emily Dare (Elster Creek Catchment Project Manager)
The Elster Creek Guided Walks occurred Saturday 20 and Sunday 21
November. The walks were one of many activities offered to the community
as part of the Elster Creek Catchment Education& Awareness Project,
supported by the Cities of Port Phillip, Glen Eira and Bayside and
EPA Victoria.
Forty-three local residents over the weekend were guided from Elsternwick
Park, Brighton, around the man-made lake, up to St Kilda Street,
along Elster Creek, along Elwood Canal, to Point Ormond, Elwood
by Neil Blake, Eco Centre Coordinator and Emily Dare, Elster Creek
Catchment Project Manger.
Neil provided commentary on the Elster Creek environment including,
geology, history, plants and animals, flood mitigation, stormwater
issues, land reclamation, land uses and much more. A number of stops
were made along the leisurely walk to discuss these topics and field
questions.
Highlights of both days were taking water samples from the creek
at St Kilda Street to identify bugs and other critters who call
Elster Creek home, recruiting members for the yet to be formed ‘Friends
of Elster Creek’, and ending the day with a yummy lunch at
Point Ormond.
All feedback was very positive and can be summed up with a question
“When will these walks be held again?” ...the answer,
keep an eye out for the Walk and Talk series run by City of Port
Phillip in 2005.
For those who just can’t wait until next year, log on to
the Elster Creek website
after 17 December to download an ‘Elster Creek Self Guided
Walk’ brochure to complete at your leisure.
Many thanks to those residents who participated and to Neil for
ensuring everyone left the walk having discovered something new
and exciting about the Elster Creek environment.
Newsletter Contents
Edible Aquatic Plants
By Dianne Haywood
The following is an extract from an article to be published in
the Southern Bushfoods newsletter.
When speaking of bushfoods, it’s easy to overlook the large
group of plants that grow in water rather than being land-based.
In traditional diets, aquatic plants were/are often a major nutritional
source.
The following list of edible plants includes plants that prefer
to live in water and varying degrees of bogginess.
We stock a few of these plants at SKINC Nursery, but nurseries
such as Australian Ecosystems (formerly Wetland Ecosystems) may
have a wider range.
After much deliberation I have left out the various types of seaweeds.
Some are edible, but considering the state of many of our beaches
and waterways I am not sure that I would want to encourage anyone
to forage in them.
- Typha orientalis, T. domingensis - Bulrush, Cumbungi.
Edible parts: Roots and young shoots
- Triglochin procera - Water Ribbons. Edible parts: roots
- Nymphaea violacea, N. brownii, N. tetragona, N.
gigantea - Native Water Lilies. Edible parts: roots, seed
pods, seeds, nectar (limited use), flowers.
- Bolboschoenus medianus - Marsh Club-rush,B. caldwellii
- Sea Club-rush. Edible parts: roots
- Blechnum indicum - Bungwall Fern. Edible parts: roots
- Eleocharis sphacelata -Tall Spike Rush,
E. dulcis - Water chestnuts. Edible parts- roots, E.sphacelata
was a major food source in the tropics
- Marsilea drummondii (Common Nardoo) Edible parts: seeds/spores
- Lepironia articulata (Grey Sedge). Edible parts: rhizomes
- Mentha australis (River Mint). Edible parts: leaves
- Nelumbo nucifera (Lotus Lily). Edible parts: seeds
- Phragmites australis (Common Reed). Edible parts: leaves,
root, seed, stem
- Sambucus gaudichaudiana (White Elderberry). Edible
parts: fruit
If you'd like to know more about these plants and other good sources
of information, phone SKINC on (03) 9645 2477.
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The Presidents Report
Geoffrey Barry
President
Port Phillip EcoCentre Inc.
As we approach the new year it is appropriate for us to reflect
on the year just completed and endeavour to plan our coming year.
The year 2004 was for EcoCentre a year of profound change. Our
signing of the sponsorship agreement with The City of Port Phillip
was probably the second most important step in our history.
It would be remiss of me not mention the role of our former President
Julian Donlen and Committee member Jo Samuel-King in bringing this
negotiation to fruition, they were in short, magnificent.
That the City of Port Phillip entered into this agreement shows
their appreciation of the maturity of our organisation. For our
part we express our appreciation to the Councilors and Officers
who negotiated the agreement in particular, former Mayor Liz Johnston
and Council Officers, David Yeouart and Rob Palmer.
Following these changes we can now govern our own affairs in a
manner that befits our chosen role within the environment movement.
With these changes our responsibilities have also increased and
in that respect we are fortunate to have an excellent team of both
committee members and employees.
With the changeover, Neil Blake, became an employee of EcoCentre.
Neil's vast experience is an obvious advantage to our operation
and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship.
Neil's future role with EcoCentre will be concentrating on increasing
EcoCentre's role in the community in a practical way through partnerships
and liaisons.
We have been fortunate with other people that have joined us as
employees throughout the year: Naomi Sunner, Liz Rule and Marc La
Fontaine as supervisors for our 'Work For The Dole' Programs, David
Giles who is employed as our Information Officer, and Deborah Jenkins
as our bookkeeper.
All of these people contributed to our successful year and we express
our appreciation for their efforts.
The annual general meeting elected a new committee which included
some tried and true names, amongst them Steve Pennells, Vice President;
Jo Samuel-King, Secretary; Michele Hodes, Treasurer; Tony Gardner
Committee Member. A newcomer to the Committee is Toby Richards.
Toby to me represents the exciting future of EcoCentre. His youth
and enthusiasm carrying us far into the future.
For my own part, I promise that I will carry out the role of President
to the best of my ability.
'The Eco' carries all the latest news on our endeavours. I hope
that this provides an interesting read and motivates more people
to become involved in our activities.
It seems to me the planet is still not been treated properly so
it’s up to us to do our bit.
So in the coming year lets dedicate ourselves to doing our bit
locally so that we may have a global future.
Newsletter Contents
EcoFairs
by Tony Gardner
On the first Sunday of each month we have been staging an EcoFair
in and around the EcoCentre.
The EcoFair is an opportunity to raise awareness of sustainability
issues in a fun, friendly and relaxed atmosphere. The highlights
so far have been the SKINC Spring Plant Sale, the local sustainable
products on offer from our stall holders, including our own EcoCafe,
local authors book stall and wonderful bands.
Stall holders who have products and services that fit the eco-friendly
ethos, and musos that wish to play, can contact Tony on 0414 652
566
The next EcoFair will be Sunday Feb 6.
Newsletter Contents
New Environmental Directions
by Vicki Black (from Building Partnerships)
It’s been a very busy and interesting few months for the
New Environmental Directions (NED) participants at the EcoCentre.
The 8 participants have been involved in a variety of tasks and
activities. These have included yoga classes with Heidi, and working
in the community garden as well as beginning the long awaited balcony
garden project.
David has helped to plant capsicums and tomatoes which are well
looked after. Other work has been done to assist with the revegetation
at Westgate Park, as well as collecting rubbish at West Beach recently.
The NED participants all speak fondly of Geoffrey, Neil and Kirsty
who continue to work enthusiastically with the Central Bayside Disability
Service clients. Terry has also formed a strong bond with this Monday
group, and is well liked by all.
As the year approaches it’s conclusion, we can feel positive
and proud of the work that’s happened, the learning that’s
occurred, and probably most importantly, the friendships and feeling
of belonging that has developed by NED with the EcoCentre.
We all look forward to the year ahead and wish to thank everyone
involved in 2004.
Newsletter Contents
St Kilda Organic Food Cooperative
by Steve Pennells
We have relocated from the rear of 435 Inkerman Street, East St
Kilda to the EcoCentre for a six week trial period due to end in
January because the space was required by the Malvern Community
School.
Our opening hours are Saturday 10.30 – 1.00, but we will
be closed until the 15th January 2005.
Membership costs from $15 for a single concession to $30 per household
per year.
Fruit and vegetables are pre-ordered then delivered to the EcoCentre,
where they are they are then divvied up as evenly as possible into
individual boxes (recycled from the delivery) for collection by
our members at a charge of $20 per box.
SKOF members volunteer to serve on the committee and to help run
the coop on Saturdays.
We also organise trips to organic farms to pick own produce. The
last trip was to Sunny
Creek organic fruit and berry farm.
New members are always welcome, call by the EcoCentre when SKOF
are in operation to chat with one of our volunteers.
Steve's email: stevep3182@yahoo.com
Newsletter Contents
EcoVeggie Garden
by David Giles
This season has been much more productive than our first one, due
to the improved soil quality.
The application of blood and bone and pea straw has paid dividends,
as has the possum proofing around some of the raised garden beds.
The possum(s) were more than partial to our silver beat, pumpkins,
cauliflowers and broccoli.
We’ve recently harvested half our potato crop which amounted
to around 50 kg and radishes. The silver beet has provided us with
a constant supply since the possum(s) have been kept out, but is
now coming towards its end.
Pumpkins, zucchinis, lettuces and Tomatoes are growing well and
we are hoping for a bumper crop, but so far the basil has failed
to grow.
Newsletter Contents
St Kilda Farmers' Market
The St Kilda Farmers' Market, instigated and run by Veg Out Community
Garden, is fast becoming an important part of the local community.
At Farmers' Markets you'll find organic and low impact vegetables,
herbs, juices, cheeses, honey, wine, smoked meat and fish, free
range eggs and more.
This method of buying produce cuts out the middleman and allows
you to experience the freshest produce from across the state sold
directly to you (with a smile) by the grower/producer.
The St Kilda Farmers' Market is held on the fourth Saturday of
every month from 8am to 12.30pm at the Peanut Farm Reserve, Chaucer
Street, St Kilda (just behind Veg Out).
For the next market see the EcoCentre's Events
Calendar
Newsletter Contents
Lentil as Anything Presents 'Chairing is
Caring' Community Arts Project
Local St Kilda co-operative restaurant 'Lentil As Anything' has
successfully secured funding from the City of Port Phillip –
Drug Forum Small Grants to facilitate a community arts project.
The aim is to provide a safe, inclusive and inviting space for
a range of local residents to interact in an artistic forum to create
connectedness and understanding within the wider community.
During a six week period, through six three hour workshops, we
will use the chairs as our blank canvas to tell our story. That
chair will support the inclusion missing in our society. That chair
will support you and me.
The chairs will be exhibited at the Blessington Street Festival
and then used at Lentil As Anything.
Where: EcoCentre, corner of Blessington
& Herbert St, St Kilda
When: Tuesdays 14th, 21st Dec and Tuesday
4th, 11th & 18th January
Time: 5 to 8 pm
Cost: FREE. Everyone invited. Food
provided by Lentil as Anything
Contact: Hernan Palacio on 0418 105
127
or patanet@alphalink.com.au
Newsletter Contents
Work For the Dole Projects
Thank you to Naomi, Liz and Marc! Everyone at the EcoCentre
wish to thank Liz Rule, Naomi Sunner and Marc La Fontaine for their
hard work and dedication during their spells as the WFD team leaders.
Liz, Naomi and Marc motivated and inspired their merry band, who
in turn contributed their skills and expertise to the EcoCentre.
Projects around the EcoHouse included:
- Repaired the information blackboard on front wall
- Catalogued resource room reference materials
- Created a butterfly banner for Global Party and a Westgate trail
brochure
- Compiled information of the St Kilda penguins, West Beach foreshore,
seagrass meadows, seastars and rakali for Earthcare
- Produced a Corroboree Tree brochure and a Westgate Blue Wren
survey map
- Made a white board easel
- Audited waste, made recycle and rubbish bins for kitchen
- Made towel racks for the bathrooms and draft sealers installed
on the entrance doors
- Built curtain pelmets for the kitchen and resource room
- Possum proofed the veggie garden
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