The shearwater, or muttonbird chicks are leaving!

Watershed volunteers are getting organised over the next few weeks (Easter onwards) to protect the young shearwater birds leaving the Bass Coast for their annual migration to the Arctic (read more in Bulletin No11 on the Watershed website).

Training for monitoring around the plant and between Wonthaggi and Kilcunda Saturday 23rd April 2011. Meet at the Lower Powlett carpark at 6.30pm. Bring warm cloths, torches and good humor. Further details ring 0413 902571.

To read Watershed’s media release  click here

You may have seen the large notice on pages 28-29 of this week’s Sentinel Times with information about the Phillip Island Nature Park Open Day on 27 March.

Many interesting activities have been organised. Of particular interest to Watershed members are the Shearwaters at Sunset event at 6.30pm and the two sessions about Little Penguins at Sea (11am and 4pm). The shearwaters will shortly be departing on their annual migration and the lights and structures of the desalination plant are particularly hazardous for young birds.

It should also be interesting to find out about where penguins are feeding in relation to the desal.

click here to view:-

community open day 2011 program and timetable

WATERSHED VICTORIA

‘We’re still here!’ Christmas picnic celebration

WHEN: Saturday 11 December from 5.30pm

WHERE: Mouth of the Powlett River.

WHAT TO BRING: Bring a picnic, musical instrument…

DRESS CODE: Colourful attire

Watershed Victoria AGM

Date: Tuesday 9th November

Where:  Picassos on Graham, Wonthaggi,

Time:  7pm.

Pizza and pasta available if wishing to dine.

“Scrap the Desal”  Rally on the steps of Parliament

Midday on Wednesday 6th October

We have had a amazing few weeks with the Brumby Government under intense scrutiny over the financing of the desal fiasco.

This is a crucial time, coming up to the state election - Parliament is sitting and politicians are listening.
Join us and bring your outrage at the money we will be paying for the next 30 years to fund a wasteful energy guzzling project which even Labor insiders are now questioning.
Listen to speeches on canning the desal contract.

See Timmie the giant desal tap, all the way from Gippsland!

More info 0407 811 778 or answers@watershedvictoria.org.au

If you can’t come, you could contact your MP and the Premier john.brumby@parliament.vic.gov.au (03) 9651 5000 calling for scrapping the desal plant and replacing it with sustainable cheaper alternatives.

www.watershedvictoria.org.au

Last season 42 separate whales were sited within 10 kilometres of the desal site (stat decs and photos confirm this). The Government’s EES said there were virtually no whales in the area and it was not significant habitat (the EES said only a couple of whales had visited the area over the last five years).

To build on the data from last season we are launching “WHALE WATCH”, an initiative to get details of as many whales as possible visiting us this season. We will then have good data to see how construction and later operation of the desal plant is effecting these beautiful creatures.

Please click on the image above to get a printable version and distribute wherever you can. Phone in any sightings, even any unusual events that you observe on our coast, we should be able to get photographers and observers down asap.

Further details as to where to drop off forms if you see something and fill one in will follow shortly

Form to record Whale sighting.          Download

Document to help you recognise and identify whale species.          Download

It has been about nine months now since the consortium building the desalination plant last met with the community to give any details of what they plan to build.

This is a very unsatisfactory situation. The government have set up a community liason committee that gives the community the same spin answers as the DSE used to. After requesting the answers to many questions over the last months without getting answers we called for another community forum. In the end we have had to set one up ourselves. Senior staff of the consortium have been asked to attend and sit on a panel, as have staff of the Bass Coast Shire. We also have a panel of water, environmental and economic experts to help answer the community’s questions about the desal plant being built and its likely effects.

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FREE ADMISSION:  Saturday 22nd May

Wonthaggi Town Hall, 7.30 pm.

Please click on the poster and print off copies to distribute to those you think might be interested

Watershed contributed a float for the street parade celebrating Wonthaggi’s 100th birthday.

We secured an honourable mention from the judges for our efforts and we think the miners of old would appreciated our efforts to stand up against Government arrogance and injustice.

The float represents the inlet pipe sucking up 30,000 tonnes of marine life each year, the outlet pipe and its potential for both short and long term consequences. Also the predominant theme of the cost of water, where government previously said water bills would no more than double, but the Essential Services Commission has now had to admit it may need to further vary water prices due to the cost of the plant.

HELP US  -  ONGOING ACTIVE MONITORING OF DESAL SITE:

As our campaign is strongly motivated by our love for the Bass Coast, we plan to actively pursue compliance with the Environmental Effects Study (EES) as well as acting on the social and traffic impacts of the project on our community.

In the next few weeks we will summarise the key EES recommendations to make it clear what may be breaches and to which authorities breaches can be reported. A program will be worked around this.

At the brainstorm on the 15^th August, 3 action areas were identified:

·         Monitoring wildlife, especially bird life.

We plan to get an idea of pre -existing conditions of a few key indicators such as the endangered Hooded Plover, which is known to visit Williamsons Beach and attempt to breed along the coast. Other species will also be important. Whales continue to migrate along the coast – there have been over 30 documented sightings in the last month. Salinity measurements will be important  near the outlet, though that will depend on our resources. Noise measurement will be needed. Vibration and light glare will also affect the environment.

·         Breaches of performance requirements.

During the pilot plant construction, numerous breaches of the Environmental Management Plan were identified, such as dumping of asbestos in Campbell St, waste dumping in Skip Lane and delivery of materials using trucks which were not compliant. We are not too hopeful of a better result now that the Aquasure consortium are in charge– the need for haste, disturbance of acid sulphate soils and waste silt flowing into the Powlett River some of the many conditions likely to cause problems. We have already had contradictory statements about at what hours per day the construction will take place.

·         Social  Impacts.

Traffic and housing problems are already affecting coastal residents. We need to identify which authorities are in charge of traffic planning and compliance. A list of people whose tenancies are threatened and  those who are experiencing problems with housing is being compiled, but follow-up is needed. Many families are not keen to make a fuss, in case they risk their chances of finding secure housing.

If you are keen to help with a bird count and keeping an eye on the project, please get in touch with Chris Heislers 0419556381 or Jessica Harrison 0407307231