Blue Wedges
Encyclopedia
Blue Wedges is a conservation
organisation in conflict with Australia's
Victorian
government
policy to deepen shipping channels
in Port Phillip
and the large scale development of Ramsar
listed Westernport. The Blue Wedges is a coalition
of over 65 environmental
and bay user groups opposed to development in the Melbourne Bays that they deem to be unsustainable, such as the Port of Melbourne Corporation's Channel Deepening Project. The Blue Wedges Coalition includes angling
groups and peak bodies, professional fishing associations, diving and charter operators along with the more traditional coastal protection groups and bayside industry sectors. The Blue Wedges Coalition is supported in its goal to protect the bays by other environmental entities including the Victorian National Parks Association
, Australian Conservation Foundation
, Friends of the Earth
, The Wilderness Society
, Environment Victoria
, Port Phillip Conservation Council and Western Region Environment Centre under a joint statement issued by these groups opposing the project and calling for action to stop the project from the Victorian Government.
In Victoria, the name "Blue Wedges" was created after a previous "Green Wedges" government policy for rural and forest conservation around the edges of the expanding Melbourne
metropolitan region. Green Wedges is an already existing part of the governments environmental policy.
In December 2007 it was announced that Blue Wedges took action in the Federal Court
against the Commonwealth to stop it signing off on the deepening shipping channels project. The case was heard in January 2008, with the Federal Court deciding against Blue Wedges on January 15 2008. On the 30 January 2008, Blue Wedges won a reprieve in the Federal Court with a hearing date of 20 February 2008. After mediation between Blue Wedges and the Port of Melbourne Corporation (the body responsible for the deepening operations) on February 6 2008, limited operations were allowed to commence on February 8 2008.
Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
organisation in conflict with Australia's
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
Victorian
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
government
Government of Victoria
The Government of Victoria, under the Constitution of Australia, ceded certain legislative and judicial powers to the Commonwealth, but retained complete independence in all other areas...
policy to deepen shipping channels
Port Phillip Channel Deepening Project
The Port Phillip Channel Deepening Project began on 8 February 2008 to deepen the shipping channels leading to Melbourne, Australia, in Port Phillip to draught allow greater access for container ships. An estimated A$969 million, was to be spent on the works, with $150 million funded by taxpayers...
in Port Phillip
Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...
and the large scale development of Ramsar
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
listed Westernport. The Blue Wedges is a coalition
Coalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
of over 65 environmental
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
and bay user groups opposed to development in the Melbourne Bays that they deem to be unsustainable, such as the Port of Melbourne Corporation's Channel Deepening Project. The Blue Wedges Coalition includes angling
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
groups and peak bodies, professional fishing associations, diving and charter operators along with the more traditional coastal protection groups and bayside industry sectors. The Blue Wedges Coalition is supported in its goal to protect the bays by other environmental entities including the Victorian National Parks Association
Victorian National Parks Association
The Victorian National Parks Association is the prime supporter of nature conservation in the Australian state of Victoria. VNPA meets regularly with heads of government agencies and State Government ministers in order to promote and achieve various conservation goals.-History:The Victorian...
, Australian Conservation Foundation
Australian Conservation Foundation
The Australian Conservation Foundation is an Australian non-profit, community-based environmental organisation focused on advocacy, policy research and community outreach.-History:...
, Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth International is an international network of environmental organizations in 76 countries.FOEI is assisted by a small secretariat which provides support for the network and its agreed major campaigns...
, The Wilderness Society
The Wilderness Society (Australia)
The Wilderness Society is an Australian, community-based, not-for-profit non-governmental environmental advocacy organisation. Its purpose is to protect, promote and restore wilderness and natural processes across Australia for the survival and ongoing evolution of life on Earth.It is a...
, Environment Victoria
Environment Victoria
Environment Victoria is Victoria’s leading independent environment group. Established in 1969 as the Conservation Council of Victoria, Environment Victoria was set up by Victoria's community conservation groups to provide a single unified voice for Victoria's environment. Today, Environment...
, Port Phillip Conservation Council and Western Region Environment Centre under a joint statement issued by these groups opposing the project and calling for action to stop the project from the Victorian Government.
In Victoria, the name "Blue Wedges" was created after a previous "Green Wedges" government policy for rural and forest conservation around the edges of the expanding Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
metropolitan region. Green Wedges is an already existing part of the governments environmental policy.
In December 2007 it was announced that Blue Wedges took action in the Federal Court
Federal Court of Australia
The Federal Court of Australia is an Australian superior court of record which has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes governed by federal law , along with some summary criminal matters. Cases are heard at first instance by single Judges...
against the Commonwealth to stop it signing off on the deepening shipping channels project. The case was heard in January 2008, with the Federal Court deciding against Blue Wedges on January 15 2008. On the 30 January 2008, Blue Wedges won a reprieve in the Federal Court with a hearing date of 20 February 2008. After mediation between Blue Wedges and the Port of Melbourne Corporation (the body responsible for the deepening operations) on February 6 2008, limited operations were allowed to commence on February 8 2008.
See also
- Port Phillip Channel Deepening ProjectPort Phillip Channel Deepening ProjectThe Port Phillip Channel Deepening Project began on 8 February 2008 to deepen the shipping channels leading to Melbourne, Australia, in Port Phillip to draught allow greater access for container ships. An estimated A$969 million, was to be spent on the works, with $150 million funded by taxpayers...
- Green beltGreen beltA green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...
- Clean Ocean FoundationClean Ocean FoundationThe Clean Ocean Foundation is an environmental organisation that is dedicated to the closure of ocean sewerage outfalls in Victoria...
External links
- Blue Wedges - Home Page
- Southern Victorian Community Action Group - Home Page
- Government of Victoria - Melbourne's green wedges
- Port Of Melbourne - Channel Deepening Project