ROCKFALL AUDIT RECOMMENDS FURTHER MONITORING

17 August 2006

A report, released today, by an independent environmental auditor on the impact of rockfalls at The Rip in Port Phillip Bay during last year’s Trial Channel Dredge Program, indicates further monitoring over time is needed to confirm the recovery of sponge communities and other substratum habitat, and the relative levels of ecological significance.

EPA Victoria executive director regional services Bruce Dawson said the report Trial Dredge Program - Deep Reef Impact Assessment concluded a series of four reports on the trial dredging program by the auditor.

The auditor’s report was based on information provided by the Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC), collected over a five-month period following the rockfalls the PoMC identified last August.

“The report found the Port had taken a reasonable approach in assessing the impacts of the rockfall, given the difficult conditions that prevailed at The Rip,” Mr Dawson said.

“The auditor has found that whilst some early recovery processes were evident during the surveys, monitoring over a greater length of time is required to confirm rates of recovery of sponge communities and other substratum habitat, and the relative levels of ecological significance.”

Mr Dawson said the auditor examined the approach to the impact assessment, the data collected and its interpretation; the report found that rockfalls were mostly detected on the area of the canyon directly below the northern boundary of the trial dredge area, and there is evidence of limited impacts in the canyon to the east and west of that area.

He added the report concluded the independent audit for the trial dredge program.
EPA will refer the auditor’s report to the Department of Sustainability and Environment for its information and to the PoMC for their consideration as they prepare their material for the Supplementary Environment Effects Statement process.

Copies of all reports Trial Dredge Program - Environmental Audit; Phase 1 Report, Trial Dredge Program - Assessment of Rock Falls Procedure; Trial Dredge Program - Environmental Audit Report and the latest Trial Dredge Program: Deep Reef Impact Assessment are available on EPA’s website at www.epa.vic.gov.au.