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‘Stay out of the bay’: EPA boss issues beach warning

Tom Elliott
Article image for ‘Stay out of the bay’: EPA boss issues beach warning

The Chief Environmental Scientist at the Environmental Protection Authority Victoria has cautioned Melburnians against swimming in Port Phillip for the next week, with poor water quality persisting after flooding and heavy rain.

With the temperature set to reach 29 degrees on Wednesday, and 28 degrees on Saturday, Professor Mark Taylor from the EPA has warned swimming “is just simply not worth the risk” at the moment.

“What’s upstream becomes downstream, and that includes all of the debris, and the organic matter, and the fecal matter which has come out of the sewage systems, or it’s come form native animals, or agricultural animals, or even domestic animals,” he told Neil Mitchell.

Press PLAY below to hear Professor Taylor’s warning

3AW Mornings listeners have sent photos of discolouration and thick foam at beaches from Black Rock to Ocean Grove.

The EPA water quality forecast today is ‘poor’ at Aspendale and Carrum, with all other beaches listed as ‘fair’, which “may not be suitable for swimming”.

Professor Taylor urged Victorians not to take this as a sign that it’s OK to swim.

“If you see red on the beach report or yellow I would just assume it’s not suitable for swimming,” he said.

Former Victorian premier Ted Baillieu, who is one of Port Phillip’s biggest advocates, says “it’s not in good shape”, and it’s not just because of the rain.

“We’ve lost the maritime industry, we’ve lost shipbuilding, we’ve lost dry docking, we’ve lost maintenance, we’re losing piers, we’re losing wharves, we’re losing breakwaters. The fix doesn’t happen quickly or doesn’t happen at all.

“In general terms, the back has been turned on the bay. We’ve lost the infrastructure, we’ve lost the industry.

“I think the budget hasn’t been there to upgrade the drainage channels.”

Press PLAY below to hear what Ted Baillieu thinks needs to happen to save the bay


Image (above): Black Rock


Image (above): Ocean Grove


Image (above): Ocean Grove

Tom Elliott
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