There are some big issues brewing across our bays and inlets which will lead to concerning future access restrictions and result in broader impacts on our fisheries through the loss of key habitat and nursery areas.
In Port Phillip and Corio Bay, there are two large floating gas terminals proposed, the likes of which we have never seen before in Australia. The two projects are Vopak’s Victoria Energy Terminal near Avalon and Viva Energy’s Hub Gas Terminal at the Geelong Refinery Pier. These massive pieces of infrastructure will see extensive dredging of pipelines and large fixed floating terminals spanning several hundred metres in length. We have heard whispers that exclusion zones will be created for at least one kilometre around these sites and 500m for their pipelines back to shore, effectively locking us out of large areas of our fishery.
In addition to this, VRFish have recently been consulted on a large expansion of the shipping terminal at the Port of Hastings (Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal) which will facilitate increased ship movements to build large wind farms along the Gippsland coast. The shipping terminal will reclaim at least 14ha of the Western Port western channel with extensive associated dredging to create deep water shipping access and turning areas.
We also continue to see the evolution of plans for extensive wind farms and cable networks along the south-west and Gippsland coastlines, which will be installed up to 40km offshore. Currently, the most advanced project is Star of the South. These structures will have untold impact on tuna, kingfish, snapper, whiting movements, and, of course, whale migration. What’s currently not known is how this will impact boating and fishing in these areas which look to be situated on some of our best fishing reefs.
VRFish will be writing to the Minister for Planning to request an urgent meeting to discuss these projects and the extensive impacts on the recreational fishing community. Whilst we’re mindful that the Victorian community needs greater gas and electricity supplies, we want to see common sense outcomes that support recreational fishing and improves our marine environments.
