Let’s Call an Immediate Halt to the Work Being Undertaken at Portsea Front Beach caused by Dredging of Port Phillip Bay

We have recently witnessed in part, the destabilisation of the marine eco environment with the placement of rocks without an environmental report on the existing reef at the east of the beach. This is the home to many small fish and in particular the rare ‘weedy sea dragon’. This damage to the reef has threatened the natural habitat of the sea dragon and other small fish which has been a feature of this part of the bay for decades.

As a caring community of locals, visitors and supporters, we suggest a good long term solution would be to build a Bondi Beach like rock pool. This would both act as a buffer to excessive high tides, particularly in the winter that create further eroding of the shoreline and also create a place for locals and visitors to enjoy the foreshore area and swim safely.

We demand that the State Victorian Government now use some of the $100 million bond originally set aside as compensation for the Port Phillip dredging and channel deepening effects. This Bond was taken back in 2013 and in part is needed to fix this problem so locals, visitors and international tourists can all enjoy the beach.

As Australian citizens, we recognise the iconic and international significance of the Portsea front beach foreshore area and surrounding beaches like London Bridge as a tourist attraction of world significance. Locals, visitors and overseas tourists want to be proud again of this valuable North facing beach asset that has provided so much joy to so many over the centuries, since the first settlers came though the Heads and first set foot on land close to this site on 14th February 1802.