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Home , HMAS Goorangai, Port of Melbourne, Port Phillip

12 Terra et Aqua | Number 116 | September 2009

stephen bradford and mattijs siebinga

COMMUNICATING ABOUT IN a precious environment: port of deepening project

ABSTRACT Boskalis Pty Ltd. Essential demonstrate to the public that the specialised equipment required for dredging works were not detrimental to The is Australia’s largest dredging the Entrance of the was environmental, cultural or social assets. container and general cargo port, with 37% developed. As part of the environmental Along the way, they learnt several lessons of Australia’s container trade. By 2035 the assessment, key environmental and social on the importance of transparency during Port aims to expand considerably, increasing values were studied extensively, dredging operations. the number of containers fourfold, and environmental impacts were evaluated and accommodating vessels up to 7,000 twenty- monitoring programmes were planned. foot equivalent units (TEUs). This expansion INTRODUCTION plan depends upon deepening the Entrance Still as the first dredging ship arrived, she to Bay. However, in addition to was greeted by protests from some members The Port of Melbourne is Australia’s the harbour of Melbourne being a trade of the public and by local media. The actual largest container and general cargo port, gateway and an enormous asset to the dredging works were consequently delayed with 37% of Australia’s container trade, national economy, Port Phillip Bay is also a until the courts and the public were satisfied US$27 (€ 20) billion worth of exports and unique social, cultural and recreational asset. that all environmental approvals had been 3,500 commercial ship calls each year It is almost 2000 sq km, with 264 km of obtained. Not only were extensive scientific (Figure 1). By 2035 the Port aims to expand coastline and three million people living in research and risk assessments necessary, from 2 million to 8 million containers and its vicinity. It includes two Marine National but also an intensive communications to be able to accommodate vessels up to Parks and a Ramsar wetlands. It is home to effort from the Contractor and the Port of 7,000 TEU with a draught of 14 metres, multiple fish species, little penguins, , Melbourne Corporation was needed to instead of the present 4,000 TEU for and seals, various coldwater inform and educate stakeholders as to vessels with a draught of 11.6 m at all species and natural seagrass habitats and is what the environmental effects would . For this expansion, parts of the access as well an attractive recreational locale for be and how these were to be managed. channels to Melbourne in Port Phillip Bay swimming, diving and boating. The Port and the Contractor spent had to be deepened in an environmentally considerable time, energy and money to sustainable way. Port Phillip Bay covers a To achieve this major expansion, the Port of 2000 sq km area, with 264 km coastline Melbourne sought a relationship with a and three million people living in the Contractor of shared responsibility and risk. Above: The arrival of a trailing suction dredger at the vicinity. However, the plan depended on After thorough vetting, an Alliance Contract Port of Melbourne, Australia caused consternation and the technical and environmental viability to was signed in May 2004 between Port of resulted in protests from some members of the public deepen the Entrance of Port Phillip Bay Melbourne Corporation (PoMC) and and local media. from 14 to 17.3 metres (Figure 2). Communicating about Dredging in a Precious Environment: Port of Melbourne Channel Deepening Project 13

STEPHEN BRADFORD has been Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Melbourne Corporation since January 2004. He previously served as Managing Director Transport of Serco Australia Pty Limited from February 2001 and was also the CEO of Great Southern Railway, operator of iconic passenger rail services including The Ghan, Indian Pacific and The Overland, from November 1998. Prior to that, he was General Manager of the Health and Utilities business for Serco Group Pty Limited and General Manager of MSS Security for Mayne Nickless and later, Chubb. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of New South Wales and is a Fellow Certified Practicing Accountant (FCPA). Figure 1. Overview of the Port of Melbourne which handles 2.25 million containers and some 3500 ships per year.

MATTIJS SIEBINGA graduated in 1989 with an MSc in Mine Engineering from Technical University Delft, The Netherlands. From 1989 to date he has worked at Royal Boskalis Westminster, first as a Geotechnical Engineer and from 1992-95 as an Estimator. In mid-1995 he was appointed Project Engineer until in early 1997 he became Regional Manager for Westminster Dredging in Warri, Nigeria. In 2001 he transferred to Australia as Operations Manager for WestHam Dredging Pty Ltd in Figure 2. Aerial view of the and in 2002 he became Managing Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne Director of Boskalis Australia Pty Ltd where that covers 2000 sq km he is presently located. with 264 km coastline and 3 million people living in the vicinity.

To achieve this major expansion, the Port outcome is expected, and all decisions with a concerted communications effort of Melbourne sought a relationship with a by the partners take into account to involve the public, the Contractor and Contractor of shared responsibility and risk. stakeholder interests and are based on PoMC were able to demonstrate the After thorough vetting, an Alliance full disclosure. environmentally sound dredging Contract was signed in May 2004 between methodology. This educational campaign Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC) For that reason, the Alliance Contract was included public hearings, an information and Boskalis Australia Pty Ltd. An Alliance instrumental in overcoming one of the major programme and school presentations. form of contract was chosen because non-technical obstacles to the execution It also included extensive monitoring commitment to such an arrangement of the dredging works – the negative before, during and after the works as well gives the best opportunity for the delivery reactions of some stakeholders in the as a multi-level corporate communications of outstanding outcomes regarding time, vicinity of Port Phillip Bay. On-going campaign. These open and transparent budget, safety and environmental discussions and the emergence of a local communications efforts played a significant performance. An Alliance Contract is group of bayside residents who were clearly role in reassuring many stakeholders that based on mutual trust in which the roles, opposed to the project, eventually led to the channel deepening project could be responsibilities and accountabilities of the court action, which temporarily stopped the conducted in a safe and environmentally partners are clearly defined. A win-win dredging operations. Working together, sustainable manner. 14 Terra et Aqua | Number 116 | September 2009

PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS phase of the Project. Considering the difficulties of the sea, the soil and The comprehensive project objectives as environmental conditions, the project specified by the Port of Melbourne were to demanded a large investment in Research & provide channel modifications to sections Development to find innovative . of the Great Shipping Channel at the One of the issues involved responding to a Entrance to the Bay, the South Channel, group of local residents who launched a the approach channels to the Port and the concerted media campaign with the express Channel as well as to protect purpose of ceasing any dredging from the existing service pipelines across the occurring (Figures 5 and 6). Yarra River and Port Melbourne Channel taking into account the deeper channels (Figures 3 and 4). The Alliance Contract THE PROS AND CONS OF DREDGING signed by PoMC and Boskalis Australia required all actions and decisions to be Viewed from an economic standpoint, the based on “Best for Project” principles. Channel Deepening Project has a strong, positive business appeal. It is a 30-year The Deepening of the Entrance at Port infrastructure project, with a budget of Phillip Bay, where approximately 400,000 US$640 million, creating 2,300 jobs in cubic metres of rock had to be removed to construction and 300-500 jobs in Figure 3. Scope of the dredging works. achieve acceptable depths, was the first operations. The expansion is also necessary

Figure 4. Contour and dredging areas at the Entrance. Figure 5. Public protests greeted the start of the dredging trials. Some protests took Figure 6. Other demonstrators greeted the arrival of the dredging vessel with protests place on land. (courtesy of The Australian Greens). from the water.

to maintain Melbourne’s competitive edge however, as a result of new environmental In addition to the environmental challenges, in water-transported trade (Figure 7). regulations and stakeholder concerns, the deepening would cause the services blasting was no longer acceptable. Besides under the Yarra River to become more From an environmental-social viewpoint, the potentially detrimental effect of noise exposed to potential impacts from the however, the main issues related to pulses, blasting also brings with possibility, albeit remote, of dropping or and contaminated material, and it the risk of rock falling on deep dragging anchors. The Contractor proposed although regular dredging had been habitats, which is clearly unacceptable, to cover the pipelines with a layer of rock conducted over the past century, very little so finding an alternative method became and steel plates, which was much more information was available to the public. the first focus of the Alliance Team. cost efficient than the initial plans to replace them with deeper lying pipelines. The concern was that dredging induced Over time contaminated sediment, the However, the small tolerances for the turbidity within Port Phillip Bay could result of years of industrialisation in the placement of the rock required special potentially harm benthic organisms, region, has settled in the Yarra River, equipment and work methods. seagrasses and fauna that depend on these so along with the proposed dredging habitats for food and protection. In fact, operations came the question of the Other factors such as new international and Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park disposal of this dredged material. Some national benchmarks of scrutiny for large itself (known as The Heads) had never been groups also regarded the possible impact projects and a very rigorous environmental dredged before. Up until 1986 the Great of turbidity on seagrasses and the approvals process also influenced the Shipping Channel in the Entrance was surrounding habitat in Port Phillip Bay Port’s expansion project. At the same time, deepened using explosives. Since that time, to be a risk factor. the emergence of issues-specific and cause-related civil society organisations (environmental action groups) added another demand for accountability. In addition, with parallel advances in technological communications and new media such as the Internet, the velocity with which information is distributed resulted in a massive public reaction – both for and against – to the announcement of the dredging project. Add to this the fact that dredging by its nature is invisible, that is, everything goes on below the water’s surface. This meant for some groups that the project could very easily engender a high degree of skepticism and misunderstanding.

Figure 7. A cargo dock at the Port of Melbourne, Australia’s largest container and general cargo port. The Channel Deepening Project was vital to maintaining Melbourne’s competitive edge. 16 Terra et Aqua | Number 116 | September 2009

Figure 8. Amongst the assets found in Port Phillip Bay are seahorses, multiple species of fish and precious sponges.

THE PHYSICAL SITUATION benthic micro-algae (Figure 8). In addition, opponents. The Newport Power Station Port Phillip Bay has several Ramsar sites such raised questions about whether the The Entrance to Port Phillip Bay is a naturally as , Mud Island and Spit Wildlife dredging works would affect the cooling dynamic with waves and Reserve. (Ramsar is an intergovernmental water with potential loss in efficiency and up to five metres in height and complex tidal treaty with 159 contracting parties which damage to the cooling system. Also cited currents up to 8 knots per hour. The seabed provides the framework for national action by stakeholders were sites of significant is extremely hard and required specialised and international cooperation for the cultural heritage, including the shipwreck dredging techniques. The Port Entrance conservation and wise use of wetlands.) site HMAS Goorangai and the former consists of sandy limestone or calcarenite A deep reef with sessile invertebrates, such Hovell Pile light. varying in strength from UCS = 1 – 30 MPa. as sponges and hydroids, and a shallow Some parts have a fine-layered structure, reef with kelp communities are found at while other, harder, parts were massive. The Marine National Parks at Port Phillip THE APPROVAL PROCESS A large cutter dredger would normally be Heads (Figure 9). used for this type of rock, but with the The challenges were immediately apparent extreme turbulence of the sea, a cutter was during the tendering process that started in not stable enough nor was it flexible enough THE THREATS the summer of 2003 and continued through to work in a busy channel with a high to the finalisation of the Alliance Contract volume of commercial shipping vessels. The environmental threats to the Bay’s in May 2004, when the development phase Entrance were both real and perceived. with further study and research work The operations were also complicated by They included the risk of rock falling on commenced. First of all, an Environmental the location of the Entrance close to the deep reef habitats in the Entrance, the Effects Statement (EES) costing US$8 million Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park. presence of contaminated material within was released in July 2004. Then an indepen- This Park includes a deep canyon ranging the Yarra River and the need to store this in dent panel assembled 138 recommendations from 80 to 100 metres deep adjacent to an underwater-confined disposal facility and advised that there was need for further the two dredge areas at the Entrance (UW-CDF). The effects of turbidity caused scientific investigation to be carried out known as Nepean Bank and Rip Bank. by dredging and the amounts of released before the project could proceed. This work Port Phillip Bay itself is characterised by nutrients could be threatening and needed resulted in what became known as the clear water with high visibility. It is rich in to be measured and monitored. In addition, Supplementary Environmental Effects many species of fish and other aquatic life the potential loss of heritage, economic loss Statement (SEES). as well as sensitive reefs and wetlands. to the fisheries and the reduction of social values needed to be addressed. As part of this process, a trial had to be undertaken to prove that dredging the THE ASSETS The key social values that Bay users wished Entrance was viable and to gather data for to protect involved the noise and visual further environmental studies. From June The assets within Port Phillip Bay and at the impacts of dredging and the disturbance through October 2005, trial dredging by Entrance to be protected are numerous: caused by turbidity to recreational activities the trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) listed and protected fish species such as the (diving, fishing, boating and beaches). Queen of the Netherlands was executed. Australian grayling and Australian mudfish, The potential economic loss to commercial Reliable data were collected, but protests penguins, anchovy, whales, dolphins, pied activities like commercial diving, fishing continued even after project approval by the cormorants, aquaculture fisheries, seagrass, activities, charter fishing and ecotourism Government. The public outcry eventually sponges, hard and soft coral species and were also cause for concern amongst led to a Supreme Court challenge. Figure 9. Key ecological assets in the designated dredging area.

Negative Newspaper headlines continued to abound: “Bay fears rising”; “Kiss the fish goodbye fear”; “Queen of all monsters readies for mammoth task”; “Tears flowing over dredging” and daily television reports emphasized the dangers of dredging (Figure 10).

BALANCING THREATS AND ASSETS

To communicate successfully with the public, experts was assembled and technology TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS the Alliance Team of the PoMC and the and science were implemented to achieve Contractor had to acknowledge the assets a project of the highest environmental From a technical perspective, the problem and perceived threats of the dredging standards. The emphasis was placed on was twofold: The hard seabed would operations, and then present means to protecting natural assets. An extensive normally indicate dredging with a traditional remedy the threats and protect the assets. with a large number of cutter. In this case, however, the heavy seas In pursuing this action, the Alliance with workshops involving all specialists along that exist at the Entrance to Port Phillip Bay, Boskalis proved to be extremely important. with the contractor served as the along with the large volume of shipping There was in fact no local dredging foundation to determine the proper traffic meant that the cutter’s stationary company available or capable of executing balance between assets and threats. operating procedure would not work. this unique and complex project. The For instance extensive experiments were A trailing suction hopper, on the other Entrance required specialised technology conducted to determine the impact of hand, is more flexible and can work in and expertise, it demanded detailed biological response to reduced light severe weather conditions, but trailers planning and the approval process required caused by turbidity (Figures 11 and 12). had never dealt well with dredging rock. intellectual input from the dredging partner. For the modelling of the intensity and extent of the turbidity plume, input from Boskalis in respect of the turbidity source strength and the dredging cycle was essential. The dredging partner had to be able to assure the environmental controls for delivery of the project. Although Boskalis was surprised at the media attention – protest letters were even sent directly to Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands – they were ready and able to address the issues. Figure 10. Headlines in In response to the panel recommendations the local newspapers and the actions of some stakeholders, reinforced the anxieties the project was reconfigured. A team of about dredging. 18 Terra et Aqua | Number 116 | September 2009

Figure 11. Shading experiments were conducted to determine the impact of biological response to reduced light. From left to right: the installation of a shade, kelp under a shade and a light meter.

Given the hardness of the rock found near open the ground using strong, large teeth. and destroy precious marine life: the Bay’s Entrance, both a jumbo trailing The first tests were conducted on land at a • After every 24,000 m3 of material suction dredger and an exceptional and rock quarry in Portland, Australia, 300 km dredged, a clean-up activity was powerful draghead were needed. from Melbourne, in an area with the same conducted with an adjusted draghead geology as the Port Phillip Bay Entrance. for a minimum of 18 hours and with The Boskalis Research & Development, Central at least 90% coverage of the dredged Technical and the Dredging Departments, Whilst the cutting processes on land and area. Also, before inclement weather working as an inter-disciplinary think-tank, on the seabed are comparable, they are not (i.e., prior to waves above 3 metres) developed an innovative : A new exactly the same. As a result, the R&D team arrived, a clean-up was required. type of draghead – a ripperhead – which went to WL|Delft Hydraulics (now Deltares) in • When dredging towards the canyon, could be mounted on a trailing suction the Netherlands to quantify the differences. the draghead had to be lifted so that no hopper dredger, a feat which had never The scientists in Delft were able to predict rock would be removed within 5 metres been attempted before. the underwater conditions and the system of the canyon edge. was applied to the specifics of an improved, • When dredging the canyon edge itself, To investigate this cost-efficient and effective submerged ripperhead. only dredging towards the plateau was solution further, the R&D team considered allowed. other industries where the excavation of As part of the Supplementary Environmental • Along the Northwestern side of the rock plays a central role. They were inspired Effects Statement (SEES), a full-scale trial Nepean Bank (closest to the Port Phillip by how rock is excavated from quarries, was launched for two weeks with the TSHD Heads Marine National Park), a ridge was where bulldozers on caterpillar tracks rip Queen of the Netherlands dredging using left in place until the remaining area had the improved ripperheads at the Entrance been dredged to design level. This ridge to the Bay. The trial showed that the was removed separately, after additional ripperheads were cutting through the rock clean up of the area behind the ridge. adequately, but were leaving too much material on the seabed. These loose rocks Preliminary results of the post-dredging were being picked up by currents and video survey have clearly demonstrated waves and deposited on flora and fauna the effectiveness of the optimised ripper living on a nearby deep reef. To ensure draghead and the strict execution of the that the Project’s strict environmental prescribed work method. requirements could be met, the R&D team returned to the Deltares laboratory for The Alliance Contract between PoMC more model studies, more simulation trials, and Boskalis Australia facilitated the and more modifications to minimise completion of the SEES as decisions about spillage. Ultimately the ripperhead was the proposed work scope, cost estimates optimised in a way that satisfied both and total budget were developed and cost-efficiency and environmental norms. approved together by the appointed Alliance Team. This helped expedite Other precautionary measures were acquiring the necessary environmental implemented to minimise the possibility permits as well as addressing the Figure 12. The verification of two turbidity probes. that loose rock might fall into the canyon environmental concerns of stakeholders. 19

Figure 13. Baywide Monitoring Programme: Monitoring is ongoing and remains an important element in the Environmental Management Plan.

COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUBLIC 15,000 pages of data and research and such as fish, and seagrass. So far 40 new technical studies, which also modifications made to the technology and On all levels, the cooperation of the dredging incorporated findings from the trial dredge. work methods have proven to be effective, contractor was essential to engaging the and turbidity levels continue to remain well community in discussions and in developing As a result, PoMC won State and Federal below prescribed environmental limits. dedicated communications vehicles, including: Government approval and implemented a • a project website (www.channelproject.com) stringent Environmental Management Plan Vessel tracking and hydrographic surveys • a toll-free telephone hotline (EMP) at the end of 2007, which would ensure that the impacted footprint and • community information sessions at which surpass the environmental standards put in dredged quantity are minimised and that members from the Port of Melbourne place by a dredging project anywhere in the dredging works are delivered as closely Corporation and the contractor Boskalis the world. as possible to design. In addition to the met with the public at a number of direct process controls, a Baywide locations around the Bay The Environmental Management Plan Monitoring Programme is being conducted, • educational programmes with The EMP was prepared as part of the SEES which focuses on potential ecological schoolchildren, and and was the last document that had to be impacts (Figures 13 and 14). The results • the establishment of the Community approved by State and Federal Government Liaison and Dive Industry Liaison Groups, before the project could start. Known as which involved regular meetings of the “Rule Book” of the Channel Deepening members of the Port of Melbourne Project, the EMP sets out: Corporation with representatives from • Safeguards to protect Bay assets; these key Bay stakeholders – comprised • Project delivery standards with 58 of both supporters and opponents of the environmental controls for its activities, Channel Deepening Project. such as dredging; • Monitoring programmes; • Regulatory controls and reporting FURTHER STEPS IN THE APPROVAL procedures; PROCES • Contractor and communications measures.

In March 2007, the SEES was submitted A significant number of the environmental for public review and the subsequent controls in the EMP relate to the control of governmental approval process, which the dredging. Turbidity monitoring ensures included a six-week long panel enquiry. that potential impacts will be limited or It was executed at a cost of US$80 million minimised in line with the EMP. For example, and represented over two years of turbidity is measured at 11 conformance peer-reviewed investigation. It comprised sites in the Bay for the protection of assets Figure 14. One of the monitoring buoys located in the Bay. 20 Terra et Aqua | Number 116 | September 2009

Figure 15. Encouraging and its environs and about the need for headlines indicate the environmental protection success of the extensive • invest time and money on television/ communication efforts. radio/print advertising campaigns which demonstrate why the project is good for the community and the economy, show that deepening is a normal activity with a long history that only impacts a small part of the Bay, and illustrate the lengths that the organisation has gone to protect the environment • provide regular media releases • create a dedicated website and toll-free telephone information line.

Through reliable communications, a true of this monitoring are being presented stakeholders of high and low risk situations dialogue between various stakeholders quarterly and may be used to adjust the and helped them to understand how developed making it possible to better direct controls in case the measured effects some risks can indeed be easily mitigated educate the community and allay many are different from the predicted. Even (Figure 15). fears they had regarding the Channel after the Channel Deepening Project is Deepening Project. This took both a completed, some environmental monitoring proactive and multi-faceted media and in the entire area will continue. CONCLUSIONS community relations programme along with a significant financial investment in At the end of January 2008 the Queen of The Port of Melbourne Corporation’s robust scientific research to meet a the Netherlands returned to Melbourne to Channel Deepening Project provided some rigorous project-approval regime. begin the actual work. After several key learning experiences regarding the additional court challenges regarding need to establish open and transparent Finally, the public has the right to environmental impacts, the Federal Court communications protocols about this transparency. Their concerns must also be ruled in favour of the PoMC and on 5 April complex and demanding dredging project. the concerns of the contractor and client. the Queen began dredging hard rock at Furthermore, as a result of protracted and Economic issues are important, but the Entrance. She completed this work on costly delays, the importance of engaging environmental and social issues are equally 17 September 2008, having dredged with stakeholders much earlier in the important. As a result of multi-disciplinary 461,000 m3 rock. process has become a major takeaway for teams, thorough risk assessments, both the Port and its Alliance partners. modelling, monitoring, a good EMP and As of 30 September 2008, removing the clear communication about these activities, rock seabed at the Entrance was officially One essential ingredient is transparency. dredging at the Port has progressed solidly, concluded and endorsed by the regulators. Measures suggested to be taken before, environmental limits on the whole have Meanwhile the deepening of the Channel during and after the project include: been met, the opponents and media are continues in other sections of the Bay and • create a Stakeholder Advisory Committee less negative, and the concerns about additional works are also ongoing involving • appoint an independent Chair dredging are more realistically perceived. navigation aids, berths and underwater • conduct community information sessions, services. As of May 2009, approximately where real give-and-take dialogue is 80% of the overall total dredging volume possible rather than public meetings REFERENCES in Melbourne had been completed, and the where only the proponent gets to speak entire deepening project remains on • give stakeholders a chance to meet the Bradford, Stephen (2009). Presentation: schedule to be completed in the second experts, including the dredging Development of Melbourne Harbour. half of 2009. contractor, and ask them questions Aquaterra -2nd World Forum on Delta • conduct regular presentations and & Coastal Development. Amsterdam, As part of the communications efforts, the briefings and establish print and the Netherlands. Port offers to inform the public at its electronic newsletters to keep various weekly media conferences on project groups informed of the project’s Uelman, Frans (2008). Presentation: Port of progress, project schedule and turbidity, developments Melbourne Channel Deepening Project – airborne and underwater noise monitoring • organise programmes for schoolchildren Dredging in a precious environment. CEDA data. This weekly reporting has informed so they can learn more about the Bay Conference, Doha, Qatar.