Recfishwest continues to have serious concerns about the future of Cockburn Sound following the Government’s release of its Westport Business Case summary earlier this week for the development of a $7.2 billion container port in Kwinana.
The proposed port would require a massive dredging operation and see cargo vessels more than twice the length of Optus Stadium oval pushing past families fishing from small boats.
The Westport dredging operation – what we know so far
- To service the new port, a 18.5m deep shipping channel from Cottesloe to Cockburn Sound will require up to 35 million m³ of seafloor to be dredged – making it among the biggest dredging operations ever to be undertaken in Australia.
- The new channel will be required to accomodate “Post-Panamax” size vessels measuring 366m long, 51.2m wide and 15.6m deep.
- Dredging increases turbidity, reduces light penetration and is known to damage the marine environment. Much of the proposed dredging will occur around recovering seagrass meadows in Parmelia and Success Banks. These meadows provide critical habitat for species like snapper, crabs, whiting, herring and squid.
- Westport’s revised EPA referral document acknowledges “The proposal is likely to have significant effects on the environment,” bringing into question promises made by Westport that the new port will “deliver positive long-term benefits for the natural and physical environment.”
Premier Roger Cook recently announced a $273 million investment to progress detailed planning for the development of a new container port in Cockburn Sound following completion of a business case for the Westport project.
However, no indication was given as to how much – if any – of that investment would be spent on better understanding or addressing the project’s environmental impacts.
What Recfishwest has to say on the issue
Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “The business case has not been released and the summary of the business case that has been made public fails to address the impacts on the Cockburn Sound environment from dredging 35 million m³ of sand, installing a 2km long breakwater and constructing an international shipping container port.
“For seven years since Westport was first tabled, we’ve been asking the same questions and all we’ve heard is lip service being paid to the environment and our fishing experiences.
“Westport project managers claim this will be an environmentally friendly port that will leave the environment in a better place. We have seen no evidence this will be the case and so many questions around the environment remain unanswered.”
Recfishwest has recently joined the Save Cockburn Sound Alliance – a coalition of groups who have a strong connection with the Cockburn Sound and are deeply concerned about its future.
We encourage anyone who cares about the Sound to join – check out Save Cockburn Sound’s website for more information.
The key questions on Westport that continue to remain unanswered
- What impact will dredging 35 million m³ of sand have on Cockburn Sound’s seagrass meadows, surrounding environment and fish stocks?
- How will the proposed shipping channel, a 2km-long breakwater and a new port affect the environment of Cockburn Sound?
- What plans do Westport have to minimise and mitigate the environmental and social impacts of the proposed port?
- What other developments will the new shipping channel facilitate and what is the cumulative impact of this continued industrialisation of Cockburn sound?
