Bellarine Times
Tuesday 23 March 2010
VOL 3. No 12
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www.bellarinetimes.com.au
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Drysdale & Clifton Springs Monthly
page 13
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Scuttled HMAS Canberra proves a hit with divers and a further boost for tourism on the Bellarine BY ALISON MARTIN
MORE than 3,500 dives to the depths of the HMAS Canberra have been experienced since it was scuttled six months ago. Dive Victoria’s Jason Salter, whose company operates two of the four moorings above the shipwreck, said the government-backed tourism initiative near Ocean Grove had proven to be a major drawcard. He said despite having 120 dive sites within a close proximity of Queenscliff and Portsea, the sinking of the former warship had created an attraction Victoria had never been able to offer before. “The diversity of diving sites ranges from seafood collecting dives to spectacular marine parks right through to diving shipwrecks of the past three centuries, scuttled working boats and now the ex-Canberra as the flagship,” Salter said. “All these sites are 40 minutes from diving hubs of Portsea and Queenscliff, with close proximity to airports. “We’ve conducted around 3,000 of the 3,500 dives to the (HMAS Canberra) site. “There has definitely been a majority of divers come from Victoria, some interstate and international guests. “But what we are finding is that the region is now being seen as an interstate destination, marketing is going out to the world; come dive Victoria as opposed to the Great Barrier Reef. “The market will shift to the national and international market, and we can expect strong and repeat visitation from local divers.” The weather dependency factor has resulted in many divers only booking a few days beforehand and bookings are expected to decline after July, with cooler temperatures deterring divers. However, Salter said the waters were often clearer in winter and for those prepared to brave the colder water, the experience was rewarding. “The way the ship was prepared and
Diver Cameron Davey inspects one of the sockets in the shore power panel on the deck of the scuttled HMAS Canberra. Photo courtesy www.marymalloy.com.au
sunk was perfect to allow a progression of divers,” he said. “It’s good for new divers, then as they gain experience they can go further down and inside the wreck to develop more skills. “Every day it’s transforming into a marine wreck, more and more things are uncasing it and there are changes that keep improving the experiencing. “For years it will continue to be an
Surf Forecast
exciting place, as divers watch it grow as part of the marine environment.” Supporting Salter’s view, Parks Victoria chief ranger, Graeme Davis, said Parks had also received a great response from divers, with many saying the HMAS Canberra is the best dive they’ve experienced. “Parks Victoria will continue to patrol and monitor the structural and environmental values of this dive site to
ensure it continues to become one of the greatest dive sites in Australia,” Davis said. A key part of the monitoring programme by Parks Victoria is to search for any signs of marine pests. The HMAS Canberra was cleaned extensively as part of the preparations before the scuttling to ensure no new marine pests or contaminants were introduced into the waters off Ocean Grove.
Davis said the first search in a regular monitoring programme over the next three years showed no signs of introduced marine pests, which could have a significant impact on local marine life and ecosystems. The HMAS Canberra is a 138-metre long ex-naval warship decommissioned in November 2005 and given to the state of Victoria as a gift by the federal government.
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