Minister Madden has laid the blame on the media advisor, claiming it is an internal draft document. However, the leaked document names as ‘strategy’ a sham public consultation to undermine an advisory committee. Is this the type of background manipulation Minister Madden has employed with Bastion Point?

The Environmental Effects Statement (EES) for the Bastion Point development began in 2000, when then Minister for Planning, John Thwaites, directed a reluctant East Gippsland (EG) Council that the EES be ‘rigorous and transparent’.

It became apparent to those opposing the development that the EES was anything but this, with a lack of rigour in most of the studies, and highly questionable consultation.

When these concerns were raised with the government, the campaign was told there would be an open inquiry process held for stakeholders to express their views.

To the credit of the government, it kept its word and held the public inquiry – to the chagrin of independent MP for Gippsland East and abalone licence holder, Craig Ingram, who had asked the government to cancel the inquiry, and simply approve the development.

Minister Madden appointed three experienced Panel members, who all had strong track records in environmental assessment. After almost a year of EG Council manouvering about the start date of the Inquiry, they finally agreed to appear – with a plan, ‘Option 3b’, formulated just a month before the Inquiry was due to start.

The Independent Panel presented their report to Minister Madden in October 2008 – it was not revealed to the public until June 2009 when Minister Madden released it with his Assessment.

The Panel report, when released, was damming of the EG council process, its ‘design on the run’, and its proposals. It was even described by EG Councillor Gamble as a ‘searing report’. The report was unequivocal in recommending against the final council plan, ‘Option 3b’, and recommending against any breakwaters at Bastion Point.

Yet when Minister Madden released his assessment in June 2009, it completely overturned the Panel findings – based partly on Minister Madden’s unannounced one-day visit to Mallacoota. He ignores the Panel findings – he only had to read the Executive Summary to read of the net negative effect on tourism, on the lack of net societal benefit, and strong concerns on safety of the proposed breakwater.

Minister Madden’s report is written in first person – yet who advised him on his decision to overturn the Panel report? His one-day sojourn in Mallacoota was surely not enough to invalidate the hundreds of thousands of dollars and almost as many hours, spent by the community, the Council, and Government on the EES and Inquiry.

The public has a right to know what political processes happened between the time of the Panel handing their Report to Minister Madden in October 2008, and his overturning of the report in June 2009.

The event made sales of around $10,000, and has helped greatly in spreading the word about what is happening at Bastion Point.

The exhibition made the front page of the East Gippsland News

Over 400 people visited the exhibition. All of the 42 works were sold, resulting in over $10,000 being made for the campaign. See our media release here.

Norm’s works will also be shown from 8-13 February at The Stables, 58 Service St Bairnsdale; please download invitation for details of showing times.

We know the signs have alerted many visitors to what is happening at Bastion Point.

Even the East Gippsland Shire Council is interested – an officer was spotted driving around taking photos of our signs!

Why not Sign Up yourself!

Members of the Public are welcome to attend.

See Madden Decision Taken to Supreme Court for more detail.

Following East Gippsland Shire Council’s decision to proceed with design of the Option 3b breakwater and road along the beach, it has convened the ‘Mallacoota Ocean Access Boat Ramp Community Advisory Committee’, MOABRCAC. After much deliberation, we felt that there could be some benefit to being on this committee. We have written to Council expressing the following:

“Save Bastion Point Campaign has decided to nominate a representative to MOABRCAC on the condition that its participation in the Committee is not construed in any way as indicating:

· that Save Bastion Point Campaign believes that the Minister’s decision to approve the option 3b boat ramp was lawful

· that steps that have been taken to implement the Minister’s approval are legitimate

· that Save Bastion Point Campaign supports or endorses option 3b.

Save Bastion Point Campaign maintains its position that it is inappropriate for such a committee to be formed whilst the Minister’s assessment decision is the subject of a legal challenge in the Supreme Court of Victoria. Similarly, Save Bastion Point Campaign maintains its support for the Inquiry Panel’s recommendations.”

Thankyou so much to all those who have donated to our fund – we are on the way, but would greatly appreciate further donations.

This is the first time in Victoria ’s history a community group has sought review of the Planning Minister’s Assessment under the Environment Effects Act in the Supreme Court.

Please see media releases from Friends of Mallacoota and ACF/VNPA. We would greatly appreciate donations to help fund our legal challenge.