It beeeegins

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Last updated on July 2nd, 2017 at 08:13 am

Dredging is underway in Port Phillip Bay – or, as Traceeee Hutchison calls it, “my bay”:

The controversial channel deepening of Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay has started.

Dredging began in the the southern end of the Bay in waters off Rye this morning.

About one dozen protesters on kayaks and surfboards were on the water while another 20 people voiced their opposition from the shoreline.

The Blue Wedges group says rough conditions on the Bay limited the number of protesters.

Their ability to spell is limited, too. The war over Traceeee’s Bay is all about milk; here’s dairy farmer Max Jelbart:

“My (milk) gets used in butters and cheeses and milk powders that go out to more than 40 countries,” he said. Deepening shipping channels in Port Phillip Bay would mean bigger ships could come to take his produce overseas. “The sooner we do this, the cheaper it will be to send them.”

Opposing Jelbart is fisherman Andrew Horne:

“It just shuts my business down,” he said yesterday. “Sediment from dredging will be like tipping a pint of milk into your bath every night. People will not be able to go fishing within the bay.”

Fishermen used to be known for their patience.

Posted by Tim B. on 02/07/2008 at 11:30 PM
    1. ““Sediment from dredging will be like tipping a pint of milk into your bath every night.”

      Excuse me, but does someone have the telephone number for the Department of Inscrutable Australian Analogies?

      Posted by paco on 2008 02 07 at 11:38 PM • permalink

 

    1. Traceeeeee couldn’t be there.

      She was giving moral support to her Celebrity friends at the protest in St Kilda.

      Posted by Pogria on 2008 02 07 at 11:40 PM • permalink

 

    1. #1 paco,

      That confused me also. I thought milk in the bath was good for the skin.

      Cleopatra said so.

      Posted by Pogria on 2008 02 07 at 11:41 PM • permalink

 

    1. Good old Trace. She lent the protesters some of her e’s.

      Posted by Infidel Tiger on 2008 02 07 at 11:46 PM • permalink

 

    1. The Blue Wedges group says rough conditions on the Bay limited the number of protesters

      Curse you Gaia!

      Posted by bondo on 2008 02 07 at 11:52 PM • permalink

 

    1. #3 Pogs: That’s what I was thinking. I mean, one may find the procedure healthful or icky, according to preference, but it isn’t obviously harmful. Unless, I suppose, one never actually drains the bathtub, which may be Mr. Home’s practice. In any event, I should think dairy farmer Jelbart would take umbrage at this disparaging reference to the source of his livelihood. Home had better keep a sharp look-out; Jelbart may come gunning for him with his electric milking machine.

      Posted by paco on 2008 02 07 at 11:54 PM • permalink

 

    1. Traceeeee supported Labor because she wanted change, but not when it came to Admiralty charts.

      Posted by Penguin on 2008 02 07 at 11:59 PM • permalink

 

    1. So, does this mean Oz will start exporting milk fattened fish?

      Posted by Grimmy on 2008 02 08 at 12:00 AM • permalink

 

    1. “About one dozen protesters on kayaks and surfboards were on the water while another 20 people voiced their opposition from the shoreline.”

      WOW. 24 protesters, some yelling from the shore. We must stop this at once, you hear. Hello, stop. Oh well.
      (Wanders off to get another cup of tea.)

      BTW, who is paying these Blue W*nkers legals, or is that a dumb question.

      Posted by Rob T on 2008 02 08 at 12:03 AM • permalink

 

    1. Look out protesters! Here come the maritime imperialists…

      Posted by Margos Maid on 2008 02 08 at 12:27 AM • permalink

 

    1. I guess the next time there’s a huge storm or earthquake that changes the topology under the waves the protesters will be out in force.

      After all we can’t expect our ever-changing planet to, like, change, y’know?

      Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2008 02 08 at 12:33 AM • permalink

 

    1. #6 Paco,

      Home had better keep a sharp lookout like you said.

      I wouldn’t want an angry dairy farmer with fully loaded and primed teat cups after me either! LOL

      Posted by Pogria on 2008 02 08 at 12:37 AM • permalink

 

    1. Too bad Caterpillar doesn’t make a Sea-Dozer.

      Posted by joe bagadonuts on 2008 02 08 at 12:39 AM • permalink

 

    1. #13 Sorted Joe

      Posted by Margos Maid on 2008 02 08 at 12:46 AM • permalink

 

    1. #9, Rob, I dont like doing this, but I hate crappy maths even more than rowan williams.

      One dozen is 12.  20 + 12 = 32.  A 33% increase over 24.

      Lets not give the trolls any reason to speak.

      Posted by The_Wizard_of_WOZ on 2008 02 08 at 01:01 AM • permalink

 

    1. Another point, you can tell the ABC guy was wearing shoes.  How else do you count ‘about’ 12?

      Posted by The_Wizard_of_WOZ on 2008 02 08 at 01:05 AM • permalink

 

    1. One cannot help but admire Traceee’s struggle to prevent her channel from being deepened, but alas it all now seems too little, too late.

      Posted by Margos Maid on 2008 02 08 at 01:06 AM • permalink

 

    1. Sediment from dredging will be like tipping a pint of milk into your bath every night.

      Which is a frequently recommended beauty tip.

      I’m not sure that’s what he meant to say.

      Posted by Dan Lewis on 2008 02 08 at 02:33 AM • permalink

 

    1. There was a newspaper picture a few weeks ago of the Blue Wedgies going to court – and everyone of them was wearing sandals. Hard to take them seriously after that.

      Wonder who came up with the name Blue Wedgies? Big mistake.

      Posted by Contrail on 2008 02 08 at 02:47 AM • permalink

 

    1. I guess Garrett used logic to evaluate the dredging proposal whilst Traceeee used emotion (judging by the state of her latest coleeeemn).

      Funny to think that under that bald, quivering exterior lurks a cold, logical reptilian brain.

      Posted by mr creosote on 2008 02 08 at 03:19 AM • permalink

 

    1. #6

      Jelbart may come gunning for him with his electric milking machine.

      Ooooh, that’d suck.

      Posted by kae on 2008 02 08 at 04:02 AM • permalink

 

    1. I think Blue Wedgies is a good name.

      They’re about as annoying as someone pulling your jocks up tight into your bum-crack.

      Posted by kae on 2008 02 08 at 04:06 AM • permalink

 

    1. #20 I call Bullshit.  The Minister for plastic bags would have done what his minders in PM&C told him to do.

      Posted by entropy on 2008 02 08 at 04:32 AM • permalink

 

    1. “Unless, I suppose, one never actually drains the bathtub”

      I figure, why bother, damned things just going to get filled up again, anyway.

      Posted by Dave Surls on 2008 02 08 at 05:10 AM • permalink

 

    1. “Traceeee Hutchison”

      Quit your freaking whining.  If it wasn’t for dredging, highways, 18 wheelers, jet planes, factories belching smoke, and all the other fun stuff that goes with an industrialized society, 90% of the urban wanks like you would be dead in a couple of months.

      If you want to live naturally, then put down your keyboard, get out of your air conditioned office building, and get out to the outback and start actually doing it. In the meantime, spare me the crap about displaced fishies.

      Posted by Dave Surls on 2008 02 08 at 05:34 AM • permalink

 

    1. #25 Good one Dave,
      I might even buy a copy of The Age if you ever get that printed under Traceeeee’s column.

      Posted by Skeeter on 2008 02 08 at 06:31 AM • permalink

 

    1. #26

      Traceeeee’s column

      I thought we were talking about Traceeeeee’s channel…

      Posted by AlburyShifton on 2008 02 08 at 07:56 AM • permalink

 

    1. Apparently you can fit a shit-load of seamen into Tracee’s channel. It’s a tight squeeze, but with sufficient dredging, you can really pack them in there.

      Posted by CB on 2008 02 08 at 08:38 AM • permalink

 

    1. Sorry folks, that above comment is about as “high brow” as I get. It only gets worse from there.

      Posted by CB on 2008 02 08 at 08:39 AM • permalink

 

    1. #25, Dave, Dunno if your a yank or not, but Down Under 22 wheelers are far more common than 18’s and here in WOZ many places have 86 wheelers rolling through.

      No not a typo, 86 wheels.  Road legal.  We call them quads.

      As for the ‘urban wanks’ i’d only give them a couple of months if they resort to cannibalism, otherwise 3 weeks tops.

      #27, 28, 29, I’m AMAZED it took 7 and a half hours to drop this thread down there (geddit?).  I would have guessed 30 minutes.

      Posted by The_Wizard_of_WOZ on 2008 02 08 at 09:14 AM • permalink

 

    1. #30 Wiz – Tim Blair’s commenters: going where angels fear to tread.

      Posted by paco on 2008 02 08 at 09:39 AM • permalink

 

    1. #31, P.A.C.O. Sorry man, its friday and i went out for a boozy dinner.
      That one made a whistling sound as it went over my head…

      Posted by The_Wizard_of_WOZ on 2008 02 08 at 09:56 AM • permalink

 

    1. “Blue wedgies” sounds painful…

      Posted by mojo on 2008 02 08 at 02:05 PM • permalink

 

    1. “Dave, Dunno if your a yank or not…”

      Yup, that’s what I am all right.  I also live next to a bay (San Francisco area).  Unlike, Traceeeeeeeeeeeeeeee I’m smart enough to realize that my life and millions of other lives depend on being able to move food and other necessities into the area via ship, train, motorized vehicles and aircraft, and that means that we need to do things like build roads, airports, train stations and dredge shipping lanes, because if we don’t, everyone starves to death, including worthless parasites on society like Traceeeeeeeeee (her sole contribution to society…an endless stream of bitching and moaning, in an attempt to intefere with people who are actually doing something positive…like guys dredging the bay).

      Posted by Dave Surls on 2008 02 08 at 02:59 PM • permalink

 

    1. #2 Pogs. Could we also say she was giving celebrity support to her moral friends.

      Posted by mehaul on 2008 02 08 at 05:46 PM • permalink

 

    1. #31 & 32, Ohhh, Now I geddit…

      But I think the Angels may want to wear wellies.

      Takes a minute before the song starts, but its well worth it.

      Actually, depending on the recording, Mr Clive James could be one of those folks in the audience.

      Posted by The_Wizard_of_WOZ on 2008 02 08 at 10:45 PM • permalink

 

    1. #35 mehaul,

      you could say that. Although I reckon she’s more likely to give celecrity support to her mor’Al friends.  😉

      Posted by Pogria on 2008 02 09 at 03:44 AM • permalink

 

    1. “My (milk) gets used in butters and cheeses and milk powders that go out to more than 40 countries,” he said. Deepening shipping channels in Port Phillip Bay would mean bigger ships could come to take his produce overseas. “The sooner we do this, the cheaper it will be to send them.”

      Hear that, Traceeeeee? Lattes for the masses!!

      Posted by AlburyShifton on 2008 02 09 at 04:39 AM • permalink

 

  1. #37 oh shit!!!

    celeBrity!! D’oh!

    Posted by Pogria on 2008 02 09 at 05:57 AM • permalink