Comments
“March 6 2011 was Clean Up Australia Day. How incongruous that we drag rubbush, car bodies and other junk from creeks and rivers, scour the seashore for rubbish and plastic waste YET in an age where we are urged to Recycle and protect the Environment, Governments can dump into our oceans ships coated in lead paint and with a steel recycle value of more than a Million dollars. Where are you Mr. Kiernan?”
Douglas Merrick
Mt Colah
“The original date for the dump was greeted with great fan fare. Court delayed the dumping…Then applied strict conditions on a future ‘scuttling’. Have those been met? The pro ship movement again does not care. Tempted by a false golden chalice of tourist dollars generated by 4 to 5 dive boats at the possible expense of a great beach visited by thousands who may now well go elsewhere, we are once again being insulted by crass arguments. The Central Coast is better than that.”
Bob Doyle
North Avoca
“It just doesn’t make sense to teach people to responsibly dispose of their garbage then turn around and deliberately dump the biggest piece of garbage we can find under our beautiful waters. At the very least this ship should be exhaustively tested to guarantee beyond any doubt that the it is totally free of anything toxic - nothing is worth risking the health of our children.
Sandra Engstrom
Bensville
“To dump this ship is purely littering a public place. Putting our environment at unnecessary risk. Someday it could prove to be quite a costly clean up. Why not sell it off as scrap and maybe make a couple of dollars from it. Wake up!Tony Kelly; you are an irresponsible minister/human being. This decision is not favourable with the majority of voters. Some actually care about this beautiful country we have, while there are some who consider only the mighty $$$”
Debbie Chancellor
Calga
“From what I’ve read the scuttling of the Adelaide is at this time illegal. There hasn’t been official permission to do so. It is a disgrace to scuttle this ship so close to a pristine beach anyway and all in the name of tourism. Who is the government trying to kid? To my knowledge Avoca Beach is not a destination for the professional diver and the people who frequent this area would be novices. I would think they would stay at Terrigal from where they would catch a boat to the ship.”
Sandy Mason
Mallabula
“I just wanted to say well done yesterday in confronting Tony Kelly and that you speak for me and many of my friends when you oppose the absurdity that is the dumping of the Adelaide.
Kelly and the government of which he is a part are a moribund disgrace and only a month away from an electoral hiding, that goes without saying, but their legacy will be an appalling one if this goes ahead. This is in the same realm as the proposed damming of the Franklin River, only in the interests of a few avaricious, but vocal types.
They wouldn’t be dumping it off Bondi, so why it’s appropriate for Avoca is impossible to comprehend. Travesty is the word that springs to mind. The support from Holstein, CC Express and others makes it a very hard slog against the tide of ignorance, but hang in there, you’re on the side of right.
Thanks
Greg Farrell
“It’s internationally embarassing that our State Government wants to sweep under the carpet a significant toxic problem. They actually spent tax payers money so they could defend legally dumping over 20,000 square metres of lead paint. Who wants that at their beach? Would this happen at Bondi beach? It’s too expensive to remove the paint so they invested in a legal team to have it dumped legally. Now it seems our waves and sand are at risk. It’s just too close to the beach, anyone can see that.”
Dr David Steenbergen
Avoca Beach
“It is time to stop treating our oceans as a waste disposal unit. Australia should lead the world in recognising that protecting the environment will have far greater long term benefits than the short term economic boost that is predicted in using this ship as a playground for divers.
Gillian Charlton
Bensville
“If this 4,000 tone of rubbish and pollutants are dumped in this beautiful bay there is no going back ! Lets not learn from our mistakes but from intelligent decision making ! NO ship should be dumped in the ocean anywhere ! ever !”
Chris McCormack
Avoca Beach
“Please dont sink it, recycle it.
Ken Rae
Green Point
“Deforestation, extinction of species, global warming, a depleting ozone layer…. Let’s do the right thing for a change, before it’s too late, set the world an example of how Australia has put the environment ahead of our selfish needs and recycle the ship.”
Janet Broz
Avoca Beach
“Local Govt & the State Govt have isolated and marginalised a small community which have used their democratic right to protest against a flawed project. Dumping lead, PCBs and fibreglass into a marine environment must be condemned. The State Government is using a spectacle to hide the damage this scuttling will cause. All this to satisfy the wants of a small number of people who many times in the past have condemned others for doing the same. In years to come when the cleanup starts we will ask why?”
Pat Aiken
Saratoga
“The risk of either damaging and/or contaminating a pristine beach in favour of a short lived thrill for divers (max. life of 30 years) truely cannot be justified. Future generations will condemn those responsible - how can they live with this possibility. They claim it will bring riches to some on the Central Coast - more like “30 pieces of silver”
Sue O’Connor
Avoca Beach
“That the government would allow a ship containing toxic waster to be scuttled on a beach visited by 1000’s of people for the pleasure of 100’s is unbelievable and outright irresponsible. I object to this in the strongest of terms.”
Trish Ryan
Hackett, ACT
“Shame on you. What a lazy and risky way to get rid of scrap.”
Bruce Collie
Avoca Beach
“Having lived in Avoca for 20 years of my life I am appalled that the government aim to dump the Adelaide at Avoca. Please recycle the ship so that my daughter may enjoy the beach as I did without the concern of toxins accumulating in both the marine life and our children.”
Janeane Moore
Glenorie
“Recycle the ship….clean up the ocean, don’t put more junk in it.”
Christina Sainsbury
Avoca Beach
“If this lump of garbage goes to the bottom the consequences could be catastophic for all beach users ie: Pollution, Beach erosion, Sand (Surf) Bank degradation.”
Sam Chell
Avoca Beach
“If this is carried out, it is short-term gain for a very long-term pain. wisdom must prevail.”
Dorothy Henaut
Montreal, Quebec
“Interference with the lagoon opening and natural movement of sand from the bay to the beach will be definitely be a problem as the site is too close to the shore. The current location CANNOT be used. The government MUST NOT experiment with this area.”
Barbara Wills
MacMasters Beach
“Short sighted greed is all that is driving this project. The politicians think it will attract votes, the dive businesses have an extra toy to flog and the navy get to bury a headache. The State govt cowboys are not experts - remember the insulation debacle? They are messing with something here way beyond their capabilities and have no idea of the consequences. “Sink it and see what happens” We won’t be around to see the full impact but our grandchildren will. People power can still stop this.”
Virginia Riley
Avoca Beach
“I agree that the warship should not be dumped off Avoca Beach due to the remaining unmitigated risks.”
Adrian Brightmoore
“This is a ridiculous proposal. Why ruin the Central Coast’s best family beach with this. The affect on the beach, shoreline, wave patterns…etc are unknown. The toxicity of the paint on he vessel is also a major concern. What will this do to water quality, and marine life?”
James Madigan
Avoca Beach
“I hope that you consider your people rather than the commercial paraphernalia that continues to pollute our media and our pristine beaches. WOULD YOU WANT YOUR CHILDREN SWIMMING IN THIS. I think NOT.”
Jodie Livesley
Avoca Beach
“As a surfer of Avoca beach I know that the dumping of the ship will effect the local surf break. A natural source of enjoyment for not only locals but tourists a like.
Now that would be a dam shame.”
Barny Carter
Amsterdam
“When one does any sort of cost benefit analysis, and weighs the amusement of divers against , the possible negative outcomes, it seems silly to sink this ship.
That amusement is slated to bring income to the Coast, but at what cost in terms of possible beach erosion, etc. It’s just not worth the risk.
Mike Rubbo
Avoca Beach
“Avoca Beach is a lovely place to protect - and it’s also a question of what we put into the ocean more generally.
Intertesting that perhaps sinking the ship supposedly for divers is a preferable option to cutting it up for scrap metal - in terms of cost of getting rid of an unwanted ship..
Marth Ansara
