Jacks Beach

Westernport Bay

Welcome to the Westernport Action Group Inc. Internet site. The group and this website were created in response to the Port of Hastings Corporations Port of Hastings expansion plans and the associated Land Use and Transport Strategies. The Port of Hastings Corporation in consultation with Maunsell, devised these plans in response to the Victorian Department of Infrastructures' Victorian Ports Strategic Framework.

Westernport Action Group was formed when a few residents in Melbourne's' south east discovered that Hastings or the Westernport Bay region was being touted as a prime site for a nuclear power plant location, and the discovery of the plans for the Port of Hastings to be expanded and the associated land use and transport strategy. Westernport Action Group views these plans as a threat to the lifestyles and property values in the region, as well as a threat to wildlife, marine life and local vegetation. The plans are quite vast and excessive and will affect many Victorians from Westernport Bay areas, all the way in to the centre of Melbourne. These development will see:-

• Large scale rail developments that will impose Property Acquisition Overlays ½ a kilometre wide in places.
• Widening of highways also imposing Property Acquisition Overlays upon land owners.
• Massive staged port expansions, threatening unique mangroves, sea grasses, coast line stability and marine creatures.
• Development of intermodal terminals or inland ports creating ugly industrial areas in our Green Wedges.
• Increased rail freight with possibility of double stacked rail container carriages up to 1.2 kilometres (1,200 metres) long creating level crossing delays and congestion on our already failing state rail networks, noise at all times of the day as well as increased health and safety risks being exposed to our public. 16 trains a day OR MORE considering if those rail movements are one way or bi-directional, and not including rail movements from the Port of Melbourne to Melbourne's south &south east.
• Increased road freight, over 3,000 truck movements per day, also increasing risks to health and safety of our road users.
• Increases in the production of green house gasses and other pollutants.
• Will have no real impact on employment opportunities for Victorians.
• Will cater more for imports than exports, creating problems with foreign debt.
• Will cost Victorian tax payers more than 4.8 billion dollars with little or no return to the state.
• Improvements to make Westernport Bay region more attractive as a location for a nuclear reactor site with improved infrastructure with wide easements along transport corridors perfect for transporting hazardous materials.
• Threats tourist trade at Philip Island and the Penguin Parade, which generates significant revenue for the state and residents and tour operators.

These are real concerns as we are extracting this information from the existing documentation from these organisations. Some may try and discredit the views expressed on this web site and printed in news media, but we can assure anyone reading these pages, we are not creating anything out of thin air. The proof is available if you choose to seek it out by following the links on many pages of this web site. Just think, what kind of place do you wish to live in? Melbournes' entire south and south east WILL BE AFFECTED!