Bue Wedges

Whilst former President of the Australian Conservation Foundation Peter Garrett, now Federal Minister against the Environment looks the other way, primary school children petition the Victorian Government to stop the destruction by dredging of the pristine marine environment at Port Phillip Heads.

Felix from Yarraville and Tahlia from Bentleigh are Primary School kids from opposite sides of the Bay. They have created petitions against bay dredging and collected hundreds of signatures from their classmates, igniting debate about channel deepening in their schools. They will bring their petitions to Parliament, via Greens MLCs Sue Pennicuik and Colleen Hartland. Felix and Tahlia are each aged eight and a half. They worked independently and will meet for the first time at Parliament.

Felix and Tahlia will attend and may be available for comment and photos with their petitions. A scan of Felix's hand written statement is available by request from the Office of Colleen Hartland MLC.

The Greens MLCs will make members statements about the petitions (the petitions can't be tabled as they are not in the proper form). Kingsville Primary School and family members will attend.

"I met Felix at an anti truck blockade in Yarraville. He knows that bay dredging will increase the amount of diesel fumes near his school and his house", said Colleen Hartland.

"Tahlia sent me her petition signed by more than sixty of her classmates, because she was so upset about the dredging of the Bay" said Sue Pennicuik.

For comment:
Sue Pennicuik - 0407 000 270
Colleen Hartland - 0417 445 845

See also www.operationquarrantine.com, www.bluewedges.org, "Time to 'count cost' in Bay" (Mornington Peninsula Leader, 7 Apr 08), "Port Phillip Bay dredge protesters fight fines" (Herald Sun, 10 08).