July 31st 2012

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Western Port

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Many hands help wildlife IF animals and birds could talk, they would praise Somerville Secondary College woodworking students and Manton and Stony Creeks Landcare Group. The two have combined to build dozens of nesting boxes that will solve a “housing crisis”. The Landcare group’s David Maddocks says “many of our little feathered and furry friends are desperately short of nesting sites”. The group is keen to hear from people who have tall trees in bushland that could hold a box. “Most eucalypts in the region are relatively young, but it’s old trees of 50-100 years that develop hollows high up used by native birds and animals,” he said. “Nesting too low means creatures are exposed to predators, and many suitable sites have been claimed by more aggressive exotic species.” Each box has been designed for a specific species of bird or animal. Mr Maddocks said Bunnings in Hastings had made up samples and supplied timber. To offer a place for boxes, email gwa@hotkey.net.au Furries’ friends: Nick Anderson, left, Anne Gibson, Dean Knust, Shannon Reid, David Maddocks and Jayden Robinson. Picture: Yanni

Clean Ocean bows out

Acrimonious end to anti-pollution campaigner By Keith Platt THE Clean Ocean Foundation is about to close after nearly 12 years leading the charge against ocean sewage outfalls. It is understood that members of the foundation’s committee met on Friday 13 July and voted to wind-up the organisation. Its CEO for the past two years, James Clark-Kennedy, was sent a letter the

following day saying his services were no longer needed. The decision sparked a flurry of acrimonious emails between Mr ClarkKennedy and Clean Ocean’s founder and president Peter Smith and secretary/treasurer Andrew Tiller. The foundation has about $40,000 in the bank, which will be handed to another organisation listed on the National Register of Environmental Or-

ganisations. Preferably one with similar ideals. Few of the foundation’s 350-plus members have been told about the decision to cease operations. The foundation was formed to stop the daily discharge of about 300 million litres of partially treated sewerage at Gunnamatta. Since having a yet-to-completed victory at Gunnamatta – partially treated

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year in establishing a branch in Sydney and another on Bass Coast, which is monitoring pollution from the unfinished desal plant near Wonthaggi. The foundation’s website makes no mention of the decision to stop campaigning and no changes have been made to the names or status of committee members or staff, including Mr Clark-Kennedy. Continued Page 4

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water from the Mt Martha treatment plant is still being discharged – the foundation had turned its attention to Australia’s other 144 ocean and estuary sewage outfalls. The foundation’s website says the outfalls “daily dump a toxic cocktail of more than three billion litres of semi-treated domestic, industrial, trade and abattoir waste onto or near the shoreline”. Clean Ocean was instrumental last

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