I am old enough to remember when Prince Charles visited Melbourne around 1970 and said that he “went for a swim at Elwood the other day and it was just like swimming in diluted sewage”. The publicity about this and other environmental issues at the time led to significant action to save the Yarra River and Port Phillip Bay.

But again today we face significant problems with the water quality of Port Phillip Bay. Too often do we find the Environment Protection Authority warning against swimming at our beaches.

This is primarily the responsibility of the State government but Bayside Councils can also play an important role.

unChain strongly supports the proposal of the Committee of Melbourne for a ten-year plan to make Port Phillip the cleanest urban waterway in the southern hemisphere by 2022.

The proposal is for a partnership of federal, state and local government representatives and authorities like Environment Victoria, Parks Victoria and the Port of Melbourne.

The plan would involve a ‘bay infrastructure plan’ to be prepared and rolled out over the next 10 years. The plan would cover issues including pollution, sewage systems, stormwater management, boat sewage discharges, and the health of the bay’s ecosystems and wildlife.

Our beaches in Elwood, St Kilda, Albert Park and Port Melbourne are the most famous in Melbourne. The City of Port Phillip should take a lead role in the plan to make Port Phillip the cleanest urban waterway in the southern hemisphere by 2022.

~ Peter Holland
President, unChain Inc