Maribyrnong Truck Action Group

Protest against channel dredging and truck traffic postponed

The protest that was scheduled for this Friday the 1st of February, which was to coincide with the commencement of channel dredging has been postponed.

This is because the Blue Wedges won the right to challenge federal Environment Minister, Peter Garrett's decision to approve the project in the federal court.

This will delay the commencement of dredging by at least a few weeks and MTAG membership has voted to wait until that time to protest.

There is even the slender hope that Mr Garrett will realise what everyone else already knows: that this project is actually an irresponsible experiment. That Mr Brumby and the Port of Melbourne are making it up as they go along just hoping for the best and that the consequences could be absolutely disastrous, both for the marine environment and for the urban environment of the inner west.

MTAG hopes Mr Brumby comes to his senses and calls a halt to this debacle so some proper planning and consultation can be undertaken. Then there will be no need for a protest. After all, there have been calls from economists, a trucking magnate, shipping companies, transport experts, exporters, environmentalists, small business operators, and now the former deputy PM, Tim Fischer, for Mr Brumby to STOP and think again.

You don't get a coalition of such diverse interests speaking in one voice unless there's something VERY WRONG.

In the likely event that the bull-headed Mr Brumby, driven by vested economic and political interests, decides to push ahead, then Maribyrnong Truck Action Group will be blockading the corner of Francis St and Williamstown Rd to coincide as close as possible to the commencement of dredging.

This will be a peaceful protest held with the cooperation of Victoria Police, but we are determined to have the voice of our community heard: we want to know what you are going to do with all these thousands of extra trucks Mr Brumby. How are they going to get to and from the port? Where are they going to go? We say: NOT ON OUR STREETS, and if we have to block our streets to stop them then we will.

www.mtag.org.au

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