Road trip time

The Bulla Organics Facility was opened in 2013 at a cost of $15 million by Veolia and is part of the ‘Eco-Hub’ operated by Hi-Quality Group outside of Sunbury, and processes 85,000 tonnes of green organics, lawn clippings, garden waste and food scraps annually; which are converted into 40,000 tonnes of compost and 20,000 tonnes of mulches.

Every day dozens of rubbish trucks from councils across Melbourne arrive at the site – such as Merri-bek.

Nillumbik.

And Melton – and unload the green waste onboard.

A front end loader then moves the piles of organic material into large piles.

Where contamination such as loose shopping bags is visible.

And plastic bags filled with who knows what.

So a mechanical screening machine is used to do the initial sorting of the incoming waste.

Fine bits come out the bottom.

And the big bits head into a sorting shed, where six workers spend their day stand beside the conveyor belt picking out anything that isn’t organic.

Dropping the rubbish down a chute into skip bins down below.

The contamination rate of incoming green waste is about 3% – so the amount of rubbish removed forms a massive pile after just a few days.

Once the waste has been screened, the wheel loader moves it into a shredder.

And then it gets moved into the composting shed.

Where there are 14 composting cells, each of 300 cubic meter capacity.

Incoming organic waste is placed in the cells and covered over, reaching a temperature of 55 degrees which is maintained for 72 hours to kill off any seeds and insects.

Seven to ten days later, the door is opened.

And inside is an immature compost.

Covered in fungus.

A wind shifter is used to remove any remaining pieces of plastic.

But unfortunately some still makes it through.

Then the material is sorted by size – the large pieces are mulch.

And the fines as compost.

Which is then stockpiled outside the shed awaiting delivery to horticultural businesses and broad acre farmers.

Fire risk and smells

Even after being removed from the composting cells, the material is still quite hot and emits steam.

So fire hose reels can be found around the site.

As well as a powerful fire pump system.

To control the odours inside the shed, a negative pressure biofiltration system has been installed.

Air being sucked out of the shed.

And pumped through a filtration bed outside.

And wheelie bins?

The biggest piece of contamination in the waste stream was something unexpected.

Wheelie bins!

Apparently having a bin fall inside the rubbish truck on collection day is a common occurrence.

So they get screened out of the incoming waste stream.

Then separated out into plastic to be recycled.

And wheels that are returned for reuse.

Further reading

The Bulla site uses a method known as “in-vessel composting”

In-vessel composting (IVC) is a group of more advanced composting systems where the process is fully contained within a vessel or building, and closely controlled to accelerate the composting process. IVC is particularly suited to more odourous waste streams such as food waste and the organic-rich fraction separated from mixed residual waste as part of mechanical biological treatment.

IVC can be an energy intensive process, predominantly for the power to provide the forced aeration. Typically, temperatures between 55ºC and 65ºC are achieved by IVC processes because the heat is contained in the vessel (any more than 65ºC is harmful to the bacteria involved). Higher sustained temperatures have the advantage of destroying potentially pathogenic organisms in the waste and can also be used to dry material if desired (bio-drying).

IVC is a more intense form of composting but is often used to partially decompose and pasteurise the waste, followed by a secondary open composting and/or maturation phase. Hence the duration of the in-vessel phase will typically be between two and four weeks. This reduces the capacity requirement of the more expensive IVC phase but also adds to the overall site footprint requirement when the open windrow phase is included.

Odours are contained and captured by ensuring vessels are sealed and air is continuously extracted to maintain the vessel under negative pressure. The extracted process air is usually treated through a biofilter. The waste is also contained from vermin and protected from weather conditions, including rainfall which might produce excessive leachate. Any leachate that does seep out during the composting process is captured and recirculated back into the compost.

The specific process used being:

Process:
• Pre work: to take out visible hazardous and large items;
• Decontamination: 6 – 8 sorters plus 2 loader operators;
• Shredding: to bring material to an even particle size;
• Composting Vessels: 14 composting vessels. 300 cubic meters each. Forced aeration in the vessels;
• The material remains in the vessel at 55C for 72 hours to kill of any seeds /bugs, then in the vessel for a further 7 to 10 days;
• 800 air holes in each floor. Air extracted from the top and feed back into the floor through the 800 holes. Constructed using retractable tarp roof and removable (by loader) front feed doors;
• Windrow for 4 to 6 weeks – prefer windrows outside. No advantage to be inside apart from odour control. Capital cost is high with under cover systems. Leachate management is an issue, and sufficient leachate ponds required;
• Screening for various sizes;
o <20 mm compost; o 20 -60 mm mulch; o > 60 mm oversize; and
• Wind shifter to remove any soft plastics.

Major Markets:
• Broad acre farming; and
• Urban Soil Blends.

The gate fee for Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) is around $85/t.

When material is transported to agricultural areas (up to 350 km) transport becomes the highest cost in the whole process.

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Some history

The 2.5km long West Gate Bridge consists of two concrete box girder approach viaducts, 871m and 670m long, and an central 848m cable stayed steel box girder span over the Yarra River. The pier height varies, with a maximum height is 48m.

Except for the portion over the river, practically the full length of the bridge is above vacant land and can be accessed from below by means of elevated work platforms.

Ace Tower Hire photo

But for the portion of the bridge over the river, four permanent maintenance platforms were provided beneath the steel spans.

Operated from two runway beams, three of the platforms dated back to the construction of the bridge in the 1970s, with a fourth installed in 1995, these gave access for routine inspections, as well as minor works such as washing and patch painting.

Upgrade time

In 2006 the State Government announced that they would upgrade the West Gate Bridge to carry an additional lane of traffic, taking it to five in each direction.

Scaffolding was setup underneath the bridge to allow the necessary strengthening works to take place.

Including suspended platforms.

And an elevated lunch room!

The most noticeable change being the outriggers added to the steel span to support the load from the additional traffic lane.

But this presented a problem – it would block the passage of the existing maintenance platforms.

Two options were considered – a replacement system of maintenance platforms, or the acquisition of a mobile bridge inspection platform that would be deployed as needed.

The solution – an upside down crane

This weird looking thing is a MBI 200 under-bridge access unit, custom designed by Moog GmbH in Germany specifically for the Westgate Bridge.

Victorian Government photo

The State Government boasting in a September 2012 media release.

Australia’s largest Mobile Bridge Inspection Platform will improve access for maintenance inspections on Victoria’s most iconic bridge, Minister for Roads Terry Mulder said today.

Roads Minister Terry Mulder announces a mobile bridge inspection platform will replace permanent hanging inspection platforms for the West Gate Bridge, providing more efficient and cost effective maintenance.

Mr Mulder said the mobile bridge inspection platform would replace permanent ‘hanging’ inspection platforms for the West Gate Bridge, providing more efficient and cost effective maintenance.

“Mobile bridge inspection platforms are becoming more and more common on large bridges around the world as sustainable and cost effective maintenance tools,” Mr Mulder said.

“I’m very pleased to launch this innovation in Victoria, which will provide a great cost saving, as we do away with expensive and heavy permanent inspection platforms that span nearly one kilometre.

“It also improves access to all areas under the West Gate Bridge with an expanding platform that can extend for 20 metres under the bridge deck.

‘This will make it is easier for maintenance inspectors to see more of the underside of the bridge and because it is mobile, they can manoeuvre it to exactly where they want to be,” Mr Mulder said.

In what can only be described as an ‘upside down crane’, the unit includes a 17 metre boom arm that extends over the bridge barriers and lowers the inspection platform in place.

In order to stabilise such a large operation, the base truck, at 12 metre in length, has six axles when in operation and weighs 37 tonnes.

“The Mobile Bridge Inspection Platform has come to Australia all the way from Germany and is a great example of Victoria delivering innovative solutions to manage key infrastructure well into the future.”

When in operation, the unit will require two lanes to be closed on the West Gate Bridge to complete an inspection. These will be conducted during off peak periods and at night to reduce delays to traffic.

The bridge inspection unit completed initial testing on the yet to open Nagambie Bypass.

Moog GmbH photo

Showing off the capability of the machine.

Moog GmbH photo

And looking like a transformer in the process.

The inaugural use on the West Gate Bridge was scheduled for Saturday 22 September between 6:00am and midday.

Moog GmbH photo

Two lanes of traffic being closed, while the machine was in use.

Moog GmbH photo

But following the successful commissioning of the unit, it is usually deployed in the dark of night, to minimise the amount of disruption to traffic.

Footnote: more details

Some facts and figures

– 12 metres long
– 2.5 metres wide
– 4.4 metres tall
– 37 tonne mass
– 800 kilogram maximum payload
– 20 metre long access platform
– 17 metre long boom arm
– 6 effective axles when in operation

The under-bridge access unit is mounted atop a Scania 8×4 chassis, with two auxiliary axles able to be lowered to provide additional stability to the vehicle while in use, removing the need for outriggers. Movement of the vehicle while deployed is via 200mm diameter hydraulic driven rollers bearing on the top of the one set of tyres, providing accurate creep control.

VicRoads diagram

Along the boom modular aluminium access scaffold are provided to give access to the underside of the bridge. Additional equipment includes a 12Kva generator providing 415 and 240 volts to power tools, LED lighting, air compressor, water tank and pump, and a hydraulically operated telescopic lift.

VicRoads diagram

Footnote: and other bridges

The West Gate Tunnel project recently used an under-bridge access unit to inspect Shepherd Bridge in Footscray.

West Gate Tunnel Project photo

But they used a ABC 150/LST unit built by Barin Italy, supplied by Ace Tower Group.

Further reading

• West Gate Bridge: mobile bridge inspection platform: Polymenakos, D; Silla Sanchez, J; Noonan, J; Austroads Bridge Conference; 2014
• Australia’s largest ‘upside down crane’ to improve maintenance inspections on West Gate Bridge: Victorian Government media release; 2012
• West Gate Bridge Strengthening Project: Australian Construction Achievement Award paper
• Delivery of MBI 200 to Melbourne: Moog GmbH
• West Gate Bridge: Ace Tower Hire

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This is an incomplete list of infrastructure that has had to be modified, replaced or rebuilt due to underground mining.

A quick introduction to longwall mining

The Total Environment Centre provide us some background to longwall mining in New South Wales.

Longwall mining is a form of underground coal mining where ‘panels’ of coal are mined side by side separated by narrow ‘pillars’ of rock that act as supports.

A long wall panel can be up to 4km long, 250-400m wide and 1-2m thick. Chocks are then placed lines of up to 400m in length to support the roof.

Coal is cut by a machine called a shearer that moves along the length of the face in front of the chocks, disintegrating the coal, which is then taken by a series of conveyors to the surface.

As coal is removed, the chocks are moved into the newly created cavity. As the longwall progresses through the seam, the cavity behind the longwall, known as the goaf, increases and eventually collapses under the weight of the overlying strata.

This collapsing can cause considerable surface subsidence that may damage the environment and human infrastructure.

Longwall mining in NSW began in 1962. In 1983/84 it accounted for 11% of the state’s raw coal production. This had increased to 36% by 1993/94 and stood at 29% in 2003/04.

Nearly all of the coal mined in NSW lies within the Sydney-Gunnedah Basin and in the five defined coalfields of Gunnedah, Hunter, Newcastle, Western (in the Lithgow / Mudgee area) and Southern (in the Campbelltown / Illawarra area).

Virtually all coal mining in the Southern and Western coalfields is underground.

Douglas Park Bridges, Hume Highway

The first example of modified infrastructure I found was the 285 metre long twin Douglas Park Bridges, which carry the Hume Highway 55 metres above the Nepean River.

The concrete piers having a large steel brace attached where they meet the bridge deck.

The bridge was designed in 1975 by the Department of Main Roads, and did not take land subsidence into consideration, as the Department of Mines indicated mining that they would maintain a coal mining buffer zone around the bridge.

However by the late-1990s approval was given to BHP Coal to expand longwall mining at thier Tower Colliery towards the bridge, provided an extensive monitoring program was put in place.

The impact on the bridge once mining was complete – the abutments were 10 mm closer together, piers had sunk up to 18 mm, and the piers at one end had moved 48.6 mm east.

In the years that followed, the movement in the bridge had worsened, and so in 2007 BHP funded a $9 million project to realign the bridge.

The northern Abutment had moved 57mm, the first Pier around 40mm and the second Pier around 20mm. The next piers were stable.

Because of the different movements, the deck was in a unnatural form and that’s why the bridges had to be realigned. Works had to be proceeded with a minimum of bridge closures.

On the abutments, pot bearings had to be replaced with sliding bearings, which required 4 x 200 tonne jacks to lift the deck. To be able to lift the deck at the Piers, we installed a 40 tonne steel structure to create a lifting base around each Pier.

The realignment was done using 6 x 50 tonne jacks. Once the movement was complete, the bearings had to be welded or clamped to fix the deck to the Piers.

However while this work was still underway, the NSW Government approved further mining was approved beneath the bridge, but this time with a network of 400 sensors collecting deformation data 24 hours a day, along with inclinometers linked to an early warning system.

Trackside solar powered gizmos

Alongside the Melbourne-Sydney railway outside Picton, I found an multiple sets of solar powered instruments connected to the tracks.

And a few kilometres away outside Douglas Park, I found some more complicated looking systems.

Complete with fixed structures for the installation of surveying equipment.

These systems monitor movement in the railway due to mining at the SIMEC Group Tahmoor Colliery and South32 Appin Colliery respectively.

Risk mitigation on the Hume Highway

BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal’s Appin Colliery also passes beneath the Hume Highway at Douglas Park, with land subsidence running the risk of distorting the base of the road pavement. The solution – cutting up the road.

Modelling studies concluded that cutting slots through the existing pavement would be an effective method of dissipating compressive stress in the bound sandstone subbase. As a result of these analyses, the Technical Committee adopted a management strategy where slots would be installed prior to mining.

Sixteen slots were cut in the pavement, eight in each carriageway, directly above the proposed Longwall 703. A further twenty six slots were cut above Longwall 704, for which mining has now started. The spacings of the slots were based mainly on subsidence predictions, with extra slots added within a zone of geological structure.

The Technical Committee recognised that pre-mining slots would probably not be able to accommodate all potential subsidence movements. In particular, irregular subsidence movements could develop, the locations of which could not be identified prior to mining, resulting in locally high compressive stresses in the pavement.

The Technical Committee recognised that additional slots could be installed proactively during mining based on actual monitoring data prior to compressive stresses in the pavement becoming sufficient to result in stepping. Materials, labour and equipment were available to install a new slot within a required 48 hours, with a target to install within 24 hours. This was undertaken on 5 occasions during mining.

Fibre optic sensors were also installed to monitor the movement of the road surface.

BHP Billiton’s Illawarra Coal has embedded three kilometres of fibre optic cables in the Hume Highway to track subsidence caused by a longwall mine that runs under the road.

Illawarra Coal uses fibre Bragg grating sensors to measure temperature and strain at ten-metre intervals along the road’s pavement to detect any forces that could damage the road.

Illawarra Coal’s in-pavement monitoring system is connected to a site-based bank of interrogators that analyse the raw data on a real time basis.

“All data is transferred via wireless network link and is maintained on a web server which is managed by one of the key stakeholders,” a BHP Billiton spokeswoman told iTnews.

“The captured data is compared against pre-determined triggers and has the capability to initiate mobile phone SMS-generated alarms if required for appropriate response as determined by the trigger.”

Replacing a railway tunnel

Just outside of Tahmoor was Redbank Tunnel – a 315 metre long double-track tunnel completed in 1919 as part of the duplication of the Melbourne-Sydney railway.

Google Earth, April 2010

But there was a problem – the nearby Tahmoor Colliery, established in 1975, and expanded in 1994 and 1999.

A further 4.5 million tonnes of coal was located under the tunnel, and Xstrata wanted to expand the mine yet again to extract it, which would destroy the tunnel.

Tahmoor has now undertaken modelling of subsidence impacts on Redbank Tunnel as a result of mining. This modelling has concluded that subsidence impacts would be significant (up to 1130 mm of vertical subsidence) and likely would impact on the structural integrity of the tunnel, resulting in a risk to rail safety on the Main Southern Railway Line which runs through the tunnel.

So their solution – move the railway.

On 21 December 2010, Tahmoor submitted an application to the Department seeking to modify the Minister’s consent (DA 67/98) to allow for mining impacts within Area 3, and thereby to support the proposed mining of these longwalls. In order to avoid the potential impacts on rail safety, Tahmoor proposes to build a major deviation of the Main Southern Railway line for 1.9 km around the tunnel. The modification would also involve construction of a new overbridge to facilitate landowner access to their property once the rail track has been completed.

And decommission the redundant tunnel.

If Redbank Tunnel was left open after it is bypassed, then it is likely that some sections of the Tunnel’s masonry lining would experience cracking, shearing and localised spalling and possible collapses as a result of mining subsidence. Tahmoor therefore proposes to fill the tunnel with material excavated during construction of the proposed deviation, mitigating any potential safety hazards to people who might enter the tunnel and reducing subsidence to the natural surface above the tunnel.

Reshaping the landscape.

Assessment Report: Tahmoor North Mine, Redbank Rail Tunnel Deviation Modification

Work on the deviation commenced in June 2012, with the first train using the new route in December the same year.

Rebuilding a bridge

While chasing trains around Picton, a strange looking bridge caught my eye.

The expansion gap looking far too big for the size of the bridge.

It turns out coal mining at Tahmoor Colliery was also the driver here.

Tahmoor Coal Pty Ltd is currently replacing an existing bridge over the Main Southern Railway Line near Picton in NSW, due to proposed mining works. The new bridge is located immediately to the west of an existing brick arch bridge. The rail overbridge is an asset of Transport for New South Wales with Wollondilly Shire Council owning the connecting road.

The new overbridge is required because of potential subsidence impacts from scheduled longwall mining activities in the area in late 2015 which would compromise the safety of the existing bridge structure. The project also involves realignment of the road approaches and the demolition of the existing bridge.

A key issue in the design was the articulation of the bridge which had to cater for large opening/closure movements and large differential vertical and horizontal movements between the two ends of the bridge. A large movement modular deck joint and large movement sliding spherical bearings were adopted to accommodate these potentially large mine subsidence displacements.

Construction commenced in June 2015 and was completed by November the same year.

Landbridges on the Hume

This pair of bridges on the Hume Highway outside Mittagong don’t look at unusual from above.

Google Maps

Or from the road.

Google Street View

But they don’t actually span a watercourse.

Google Street View

But were built in 2000s to bridge a section of land affected by mine subsidence.

Plan to bridge the Hume Highway at Mittagong
5 June 2001

Working with the Federal Department of Transport and Regional Services (DOTARS), the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) has commenced preliminary work on the upgrading of the Hume Highway on the Mittagong Bypass.

The south and northbound lanes will be re-built and two new three-lane bridges constructed on this major interstate road corridor as a result of geological changes that have damaged the road surface and surrounding region over time.

To maintain travel conditions for the 16,000 vehicles using this section of the highway every day, the RTA will receive an initial $6 million from the Federal Government to complete planning and to construct median cross-over lanes. These will allow traffic to switch between the north and southbound carriageways once construction of the bridges has commenced.

The crossovers will be located near the Nattai River and Gibbergunyah Creek bridges and are expected to take two months to build.

During construction, lane restrictions will be in place in the area from 7am to 6pm Mondays to Fridays and from 8am to 1pm on Saturdays.

“In recent years, engineers have detected a subsidence in the road caused by the unique geology of the area. However, the current rate of ground movement is extremely slow and presents no short-term risk,” an RTA spokesperson said.

“The area has a very complex geological history, including mining activity at the adjacent Mount Alexandra Coal Mine from the 1950s to the 1970s.

“To ensure the highway continues to provide high standard travel conditions, work on the crossovers has commenced, with construction of the bridges expected to begin later in the year for completion by the end of 2002.”

The RTA expects to let a contract for the bridge works in October. The twin three-lane bridges will be supported by concrete pylons sunk 10 metres into the bedrock and protected from possible future earth movement by steel casings.

The southbound bridge will be built first and then operate temporarily as a single carriageway road carrying traffic in both directions during construction of the second bridge.

“The Hume Highway is Australia’s most important interstate road artery, with funding for improvements and maintenance a Federal Government responsibility,” a Department of Transport and Regional Services spokesperson said.

“Accordingly, the cost of the new bridges will be fully funded by the Federal Government.

“Both the Federal Department and the RTA are working to ensure this essential road route is upgraded quickly and with minimal inconvenience to the travelling public.

Telephone trouble at Tahmoor

Even the Telstra network wasn’t safe from mine subsidence at Tahmoor.

As part of the planning for mining longwall LW32, Tahmoor Coking Coal Operations has identified surface assets which may be affected by the mining operation in Tahmoor north area. Some of these assets belong to Telstra and are part of Telstra’s infrastructure in the area.

Telstra’s major assets in the area are: Tahmoor telephone exchange which is located on the north east corner of Thirlmere Way and Denmead Streets and Picton telephone exchange which is Menangle Street.

As mining has continued north of the telephone exchange the potential for impacts on the major network cable infrastructure has changed as now the longwalls are commencing to impact on the Picton telephone exchange area and the optical fibre cables and copper network to the south of Picton.

The planned longwall mining covering the area.

Management Plan – Longwall Mining beneath Telstra plant at Tahmoor and Picton NSW

With the critical parts of the network being:

a. Optical Fibre Cable – this is predominantly due to the nature of the cable in that it is only able to sustain relatively low ground compressive and tensile strains before the external sheath transfers the strain to the individual fibres within the cable. When this occurs the individual fibres have limited capacity to tolerate tensile or compressive strains before they cause interruption to or failure of transmission systems.

b. Aerial Cable – Aerial cable anchored at adjacent poles or from pole to building can be impacted by ground tilt. Where poles are affected by ground tilt the top of the pole can move such that there is a change in the cable catenery with the potential to either stretch the cable or reduce the ground clearance on the particular cable.

And somehow the legacy copper network got off lightly.

Generally the more extensive Main and Local copper cable network is more robust and able to tolerate reasonable levels of mining induced ground strain. The interaction is complex since the network comprises of very small cable of 5mm diameter up to heavily armoured 60mm diameter cables spread diversely across the entire mining area.

Footnote: and the environment

Water being lost to reservoirs.

NSW’s top water agency has called for curbs on two big coal mines in Sydney’s catchment, saying millions of litres of water are being lost daily and that environmental impacts are likely breaching approval conditions.

Cracks in creeks.

The ground is bulging and cracks are reaching from the surface to the coal seam in a section of Sydney’s drinking water catchment that sits above a mine, according to an independent study commissioned by the state government.

Creeks turning orange.

Flows from a “significant” water source for one of Sydney’s dams are turning orange and disappearing beneath the surface because of an underground coal mine that is slated to expand to beneath the reservoir itself.

180 tonnes of concrete pumped into a creek.

It was meant to be a remediation program to repair extensive mine subsidence damage to Sugarloaf State Conservation Area in the Lower Hunter. Instead it turned one environmental disaster into another. Contractors working for coal giant Glencore Xstrata pumped more than 180 tonnes of concrete into a tributary of Cockle Creek at Lake Macquarie.

And yet new mines are approved beneath reservoirs.

The Berejiklian government has given the nod for the extension of coal mining under one of Greater Sydney’s reservoirs, the first such approval in two decades.

The Planning Department earlier this month told Peabody Energy it could proceed with the extraction of coal from three new longwalls, two of which will go beneath Woronora reservoir.

All of this makes a few damaged bridges and cracked highways pale in comparison.

Further reading

• Mine Subsidence Community Guide (Mine Subsidence Board)
• Impacts of longwall coal mining on the environment in New South Wales (Total Environment Centre, 2007)
• Impacts of underground coal mining on natural features in the Southern Coalfield (NSW Government, 2008)

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Some history

In 1906 the first moves were made towards sewering Geelong when the Geelong Waterworks and Sewerage Trust was established. It was decided to build an ocean outfall to dispose of the waste, as it was simpler to construct and cheaper to operate, with a site south of Geelong being selected due to the favourable ocean currents.

The site was known as ‘Black Rock’ due to the basalt rocks that lined the shoreline. Work started in 1912 on the concrete sewer linking Geelong and Black Rock, with the first raw sewage being pumped into the ocean in 1917.

During the 1950s the population of Geelong took off, and so did the amount of raw sewage being pumped out into the sea, so moves were made to upgrade the sewerage system that served the city. The existing concrete sewer was corroding due to seawater backing up into the pipe, so a new sewer was laid parallel to the existing one, and a rudimentary treatment facility was opened at Black Rock in 1968.

Three comminutors ground up the solid waste into smaller pieces, which was then allowed to flow via gravity into the sea at low tide. At high tide a penstock prevented sea water from entering the plant, with archimedes screws being used to pump the waste into the sea.

Barwon Water photo from ‘Living By Water: a History of Barwon Water and its Predecessors’

Concern about the environment started to grow during the 1970s, with beaches near the Black Rock outfall had become popular with surfers, resulting in public protests about the raw sewage being sent out to sea.

In addition, the establishment of the Environment Protection Authority in 1972 to regulate waste disposal made things difficult for the water board, which resulted in an ultimatum – build a sewage treatment plant and underwater ocean outfall. Planning work commenced in 1983, and the upgraded facility finally opened in 1989.

The new ocean outfall was 1.2 kilometres long and 1.35 metres in diameter, with the steel pipeline being constructed on land and then dragged out to sea over a 48 hour period.

Barwon Water photo from ‘Living By Water: a History of Barwon Water and its Predecessors’

As for the treatment plant, raw sewage was lifted up from the sewer by archimedes screws.

Barwon Water photo from ‘Living By Water: a History of Barwon Water and its Predecessors’

And then passed through filter screens to eliminate any particles larger than one millimetre in size.

Barwon Water photo from ‘Living By Water: a History of Barwon Water and its Predecessors’

Despite the addition of the screening plant, the effluent being discharged at Black Rock would not meet future EPA requirements, so in 1994 work started on a biological treatment stage using the ‘Intermittently Decanted Extended Aeration‘ (IDEA) process.

Barwon Water photo from ‘Living By Water: a History of Barwon Water and its Predecessors’

Four aeration tanks were built, each 120 metres long by 60 metres wide, where microorganisms would digest the organic material in the aerated wastewater, eventually leaving class ‘C’ treated water that was suitable for irrigation purposes, and wet biosolids for disposal elsewhere.

Disposal of this wet sludge was the next problem for Barwon Water – with a water content of 85% it was initially stored at Black Rock, until they ran out of storage space in 2001, so as an interim solution the 140 tonnes of waste produced each day was trucked to the Western Treatment Plant in Werribee for drying.

Work was then started on a permanent facility at Black Rock to dry the biosolids and compress it into pellets of nutrient-rich fertiliser, which commenced operation in 2013.

With the solids now taken care of, the final step in closing the loop of sewage treatment was the treated water. Work started on the Black Rock Recycled Water Plant to produce class ‘A’ treated water, which has been supplied to residents of the new Armstrong Creek and Torquay North housing developments via a ‘purple pipe’ system since 2013.

Footnote

You can find the Black Rock treatment plant at the end of Blackrock Road in Connewarre.

Sidenote

My grandparents used to live near Black Rock, so the ‘poo farm’ was a landmark we drove past every time we paid a visit.

Every so often my grandfather would drive us out to poo farm, passing the wind turbine on Blackgate Road and parking the car at the end of the road. We could then walk west along the coast, passing the red and white concrete vent shaft of the original ocean outfall, and the round concrete turret that marks the replacement outfall.

During the 1990s there were also two additional structures on the coastline – the original 1960s comminutor plant, and a massive concrete chamber that allowed the raw sewage to be mixed before entering the sea. Presumably both have been demolished in the years since, as no trace of them can be found today.

My grandfather also happened to play golf with one of the facility managers, so in sometime in the mid-1990s he wrangled us a tour of the treatment plant itself. On the top floor they had a lookout pointed at the end of the ocean outfall, and a collection of items pulled out of the incoming sewage, but the highlight was seeing inside the massive screening filters – they looked like a gargantuan version of a clothes dryer.

Sources

• The 2005 book ‘Living By Water: a History of Barwon Water and its Predecessors’ by Leigh Edmonds provides a detailed history of the water and sewerage systems of Geelong – a PDF copy is on their website.
• Leighton Contractors installed the Black Rock ocean outfall in 1986 – they describe the process here.
• Barwon Water describe their biosolids drying plant and recycled water plant on their website.

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Known as a ‘bunker barge‘ these vessels pump fuel oil from their own tanks into those of the ship requiring refuelling.

Shell Australia’s ‘MV Zemira’ is a regular sight around the Port of Melbourne. I’ve found her at work at Webb Dock.

I’ve found her refuelling tankers on the lower reaches of the Maribyrnong River.

And I have even found her down at Station Pier topping up the Spirit of Tasmania.

The MarineTraffic website gives her stats as follows:

IMO: 9397767
MMSI: 503542000
Gross Tonnage: 2532
Deadweight: 3876 t
Length × Breadth: 74.5m × 16.82m
Year Built: 2007

Some more detail on Zemira can be found in the 2007 media release from Shell:

Shell’s new barge, Zemira, sets sail in Melbourne
18/10/2007

Shell Australia’s new bunker vessel MV Zemira was launched today at Station Pier, Port Melbourne, by the Victorian Parliamentary Secretary for Transport, Mr Martin Pakula MLC and Shell Australia Chairman, Mr Russell Caplan.

Zemira commenced bunkering operations in the Port of Melbourne on 22 September 2007 following certification and trials.

The specifications of the newly built vessel are certainly impressive:

• 3800 deadweight tonnes (dwt),
• double hull and double bottom,
• self propelled,
• capacity to carry 3200MT of Heavy Fuel Oil and 600MT of Gas Oil,
• capacity for 150MT of bulk lubricants, and
• first dedicated bunkering vessel in Australia to be fully compliant with MARPOL Annex I

The Zemira is 74.5 metres in length, 3876 dwt, has five pairs of cargo tanks and two slop (lube) tanks totalling 4668 cubic metres served by three 500m3/hr cargo pumps. Her twin Anqing Daihatsu main engines deliver 11 knots, and she has accommodation for a permanent crew of six. The vessel is manned and operated by ASP Ship Management Pty Ltd, one of the leading ship operators and managers in Australia.

Zemira is named for the Zemira australis – a relatively rare mollusc of the Family Pseudolividae, with origins in the Cretaceous period some 100 million years ago. It is endemic to Australia and occurs from Fraser Island in Queensland to Tasmania. It grows to around 31mm in length.

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Melbourne is the mainland port of the ferry, with the ferry operating out of a terminal at Station Pier in Port Melbourne.

Loading of the Spirit of Tasmania for the overnight voyage starts in the afternoon, with dozens of semi-trailer loads of freight being loaded onboard the vessel.

The ferry arrives bow first into the berth, with vehicle access to the cargo decks via two sets of ramps – each at a different height.

Deck 5 on the upper level is loaded via a door in the forward deck.

Deck 3 on the lower level is loaded via a pair of doors in the bow, located just above the waterline.

Altogether there are five vehicle decks on the Spirit of Tasmania:

• Deck 1 and 2 are single ended, and are only accessible via a ramp at the front of deck 3.
• Deck 3 has the highest clearance and runs the length of the ship.
• Deck 4 doesn’t appear to exist.
• Deck 5 runs the length of the vessel, but has restricted clearances along the centre lanes.
• Deck 6 is a mezzanine level above deck 5.

Semi-trailers are the first to be loaded into the cargo hold.

Truck drivers drop off their trailers in the freight yard, with specialised ‘roro tractors’ being used to load them into the confined space of the cargo decks.

The passenger terminal is located next to the ferry, and is located over two levels.

Passengers bringing their cars along for the trip are required to pass a security inspection on arrival at Station Pier.

They are then sent to the far end of the pier to queue for boarding.

The stern of the Spirit of Tasmania has multiple loading ramps, which are used to unload the vessel at the Tasmanian end of the voyage.

As for passengers on foot,they much a much less salubrious entry to the ship – this austere looking doorway located just above the waterline near the stern.

Bonus footage

Some footage from YouTube.

First off, arriving at Station Pier in Melbourne and being loaded into deck 2, followed by driving off at the Devonport end.

And the view from the upper deck – being loaded onto deck 5 at the Melbourne end of the voyage:

And finally – dry docked in Sydney.

And another one

Turns out not all freight is loaded onto the Spirit of Tasmania by roro tractors – it appears that some owner-drivers take their own truck across the water to Tasmania, rather than just dropoff the trailer at the terminal.

@natz_adv driving onto the spirit of Tasmania #fypシ #foryoupage #tiktoktruckers #trucking #truckinglife #manthings #satisfying #bluecollar ♬ original sound – Nathan Franklin

So they can just drive off at the other end.

@natz_adv Reply to @ragdollmum hope that answers your question #bluecollar #satisfying #truckinglife #trucking #tiktoktruckers #foryoupage #foryoupage ♬ original sound – Nathan Franklin

Further reading

• Checking in procedures at the Spirit of Tasmania website
• Loading the Queenscliff-Sorrento car ferry

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Founded in 1953 by local brothers Jack and Harry Farnsworth, the pair commenced operations with a 41 foot long converted cray boat named ‘M.V. Judith Ann’, transporting holiday makers between Sorrento the Mornington Peninsula with Queenscliff on the Bellarine Peninsula, with a stop being made at Portsea Pier in both directions. By 1955 the growing numbers of tourists saw them purchase a longer vessel – the 71 foot long ‘M.V. Komuta’ – and in the years that followed the fleet also grew in size.

In 1975 the operation was purchased by Sorrento businessman Warren Neale, and in 1984 he commissioned the largest ferry to operate on the service – the 80 foot long steel hulled ‘J.J. Farnsworth’. Able to carry a total of 300 passengers, there were two levels – the main deck, and a smaller deck hidden below the waterline, that had tiny portholes peeking above the waves.

The photo above shows ferry ‘J.J. Farnsworth’ – below is the slightly older timber hulled ‘M.V. Nepean’:

The commencement of the parallel car ferry service in 1987 took away passengers from the smaller passenger ferry, with it turning into a summer-only operation. Around the 1999/2000 period I travelled on the Sorrento – Portsea – Queenscliff ferry a handful of times, with only ‘J.J. Farnsworth’ in service and the Queenscliff berth having been moved to Queenscliff Harbour, next door to the car ferry terminal.

With the upgrade of the car ferry service to hourly each way in 2001, the passenger ferry went into further decline, with the last service operating in 2003. Today all that remains is a sign at Sorrento Pier, detailing the history of the the Sorrento – Portsea – Queenscliff ferry.

Another postcard

Here is an undated postcard featuring the timber bodied ferries ‘Nepean’ and ‘Hygeia’.

And another photo

Undated photo of ‘Hygeia’ alongside the Queenscliff Pier.

Weaver collection via Queenscliff & Point Lonsdale Days of Old on Facebook

Further reading

• Closer view of the sign above
• The ferries of Port Phillip by Mike Charles

Some photos from 1987

• Stern view of J.J. Farnsworth as she departs Sorrento
• M.V. Nepean arrives at Sorrento (note the incorrect caption)
• Packed rear deck of J.J. Farnsworth
• Loading a bike onto J.J. Farnsworth

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In the case of the state of Victoria, the current favourite way to get finance is via Public Private Partnerships: the government contracts a private consortium to build a piece of infrastructure, then pays them an exorbitant sum over a defined period to operate the facility, before it finally gets handed back to the taxpayer at the end of the term. The best known examples in Melbourne are the CityLink and Eastlink tollways – the desalination plant and the Royal Children’s Hospital are others.

The government says Public Private Partnerships work out cheaper for the taxpayer in the long run, and push the risk onto the private sector – but in reality we end up with socialised losses and privatised profits – greedy bankers making off with the loot when they succeed, and when they fail they sue the government claiming they were misled. In the case of the state of Victoria, we are currently paying a equivalent interest rate of 10 per cent to service PPPs, when the government could borrow money directly for just 3.5 per cent. (see this piece by The Age columnist Kenneth Davidson)

So how the governments fund infrastructure in the old days? When I was looking a newspaper advertising from the early 1980s I found the answer – government bonds. The way they work is simple: an investor loans money to the government, who in return receives a regular stream of interest over the term of the bond, and once the term is up, the investor gets their money back.

So what parts of the government issued bonds?

Telecom Australia was one, with their loans being backed by the Commonwealth Government. This was the “The Telecom Phone Loan” No. 17 from 1982 – as for what Telecom Australia intended to do with the money? They probably installed the now clapped out copper wires Malcolm Turnbull and the Coalition wants to reuse for their FTTN version of the National Broadband Network!

Another government-owned utility to issue bonds was the State Electricity Commission of Victoria. Responsible for the electricity supply to almost all of Victoria (more about the sole exception), back in the early 1980s the SECV was in the middle of building the massive Loy Yang power station and open cut brown coal mine in the Latrobe Valley.

The other big state-owned energy utility was the Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria – and they were no stranger to selling government backed debt to the public. With natural gas connected to metropolitan Melbourne by the early 1970s, by the time of their 1983 bond issue they were probably in need of funds to extend their gas pipelines to the smaller regional centres.

Another pillar of Melbourne before the changes of the Kennett years was the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW). Responsible for water supply and sewers in the city, as well as town planning, management of parkland and other open space, maintenance of metropolitan highways and bridges, and foreshore protection and improvements – the board was another government authority that needed big money to fund capital works.

Victoria wasn’t the only state to have state owned agencies issue bonds: over in Tasmania the Hydro-Electric Commission also ran adverts to gain investors. Given the early 1980s timing, the loan money was probably intended for the Franklin River Dam!

And if you throught public utilities were the only ones to offer loans to the public, the Australian National Railway Commission advertised their Public Loan No. 4 in 1981. Responsible for operating the railways lines inside South Australia, as well as over to Western Australian and the Northern Territory, they probably spent the money on their new fleet of BL class diesel-electric locomotives which were delivered a few years later.

However, I’ve saved the most interesting public loan advertisement for last – that of the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop Authority (MURLA). Established by the government to fund and build what is now known as the City Loop, in 1978-79 it decided to raise $30 million in funds through bond sales to the public, raised further money in the same way in the years to follow.

“Leaving your mark on Melbourne forever” – can you imagine today being able to invest your money in the infrastructure that Melbourne needs, and get paid handsomely for doing so?

Unfortunately it no longer works that way – the proposed Melbourne Metro tunnel is using $3 billion in funding committed by the Gillard government, but it is contingent on $3 billion from an unwilling state government, and another $3 billion via another sketchy Public Private Partnership.

Footnote

If you think interest rates of 10 to 15 per cent are high, you probably didn’t have had a home loan during the 1980s. Back then, high interest rates were the norm.

Further reading

• Need roads and rail? Then borrow and build by The Age economic editor Tim Colebatch
• Hospital PPPs show no signs of good health by Kenneth Davidson, The Age

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SLV image H98.30/25

But change was in the wind, when in the early 1980s the Motor Industry Development Plan (aka the ‘Button plan’) exposed the local manufacturers to compete on the world stage, leading to widespread job losses at car manufactures across Australia, but especially at the Ford factory in Geelong.

Back in 2003 Ford announced the closure of one of their Geelong factories – the chassis plant located on Princes Highway, next door to Cowies Creek – a news article from that period:

$100 million makeover for Ford site in Geelong
By Hugh Martin
October 2, 2003

The 15-hectare site fronting the Princes Highway has been sold for about $20 million to development consortium Quay Development Corporation, which includes Geelong Football Club president Frank Costa’s group of companies, the Victor Smorgon Group and Jack and Robert Smorgon’s Escor Group.

The project will be called Bay City Promenade.

The centre is expected to be completed in 2006 and will provide more than 1500 jobs in an area that has experienced few benefits of a strengthening regional economy.

However, Mr Costa said the proposal would not result in job losses at Ford, with the company redeploying its 60 staff at the plant before decommissioning it next year.

The centre is to be developed in two stages, with a 27,000 square metre retail centre, hotel and tourist centre to be built first.

A 25,000 sq m office and call centre component will be built in line with a health services centre, which is expected to complement the region’s second-largest employment sector.

As for the proposed property development on the site, nothing much happened over the next few years, as the local council refused to give planning permission for the project.

By the time 2007 rolled around, I had realised that the factory was sitting there empty, so I wandering in through an open gate, and took a look around. Inside the factory floor was empty, the machinery all gone.

It was obvious that I was not the first person to go for a wander around inside: discarded insulation from electrical cables covered the floor, indicating that copper thieves had already stripped the plant of their loot.

However the garden variety vandal had yet to discover the factory: the walls were as clean as the day Ford closed the doors.

As for the fabric of the building, it had not fared so well: holes in the roof has begun to leak water to the concrete floor below.

One odd feature of the factory floor was the toilet blocks located on a mezzanine floor: making it easier for workers to take a leak without needing to hike over to the main locker room.

Along the western side of the factory floor were a number of other rooms: a sick bay.

Offices for management.

Cafeteria.

And a locker room.

In the locker room I found an uncompleted survey form dating back to November 1991, asking Ford employees how confident they felt in the company during what was a period of massive restructuring.

A staircase lead up to the roof, so I took a wander up there as well.

There I found a number of abandoned 22,000 volt substations that once powered the factory.

Despite the copper wires having been stolen, much of the switchgear was still in place.

From the massive size of this fuse, messing around with the wiring while live would be extremely messy.

Outside the main building was another collection of interesting equipment: this time the filtration plant for the coolant system that was once connected to the entire plant of machinery.

So what happened to the site?

Back in October 2003 a redevelopment proposal for the site was announced:

$100 million development for Geelong
3 October 2003

A two tiered deal reported to be worth $10 million between the Ford Motor Company and Quay Development Corp, saw the latter acquire 15 hectares on the Princess Highway at Geelong. The site is set to house a $100 million development named Bay City Promenade.

The deal has reportedly seen an initial transaction of $7 million, with a further $3 million to be paid to Ford subject to approval for rezoning. Quay Development Corp a consortium made up of Frank Costa and two Smorgon family groups expect to realise a 9% yield on completion.

The proposal includes 25,000 sq m of commercial space, 17,000 sq m of bulky goods retail, a hotel and health care facility. If the development goes ahead it will see a move away from the areas predominantly industrial uses to that of commercial/retail.

However it took until 2006 for the developer to submit a combined Planning Scheme amendment and planning application to the City of Greater Geelong, who reviewed it at a council meeting held on May 24, 2005. The end result was a decision to support the preparation and public exhibition of the proposal – the minutes of the meeting say the following:

Proposed Homemaker Centre and Rezoning Application – 455 Melbourne Road, North Geelong
24 May 2005

Cr Saunderson moved, Cr Dowling seconded –
That Council:

1. having considered any significant environmental effects, the effects of the environment on the future development of the land and any social and economic impacts resolves to support the preparation and exhibition of an amendment to the Greater Geelong Planning Scheme to rezone lots 4 and 5 and part lot 6 PS511550P, 455 Melbourne Road North Geelong, from Industrial 2 Zone to Comprehensive Development Zone and associated schedule changes and incorporation of a Comprehensive Development Plan subject to the authorisation of the Minister for Planning being obtained; and
2. agrees to consider the application for a planning permit for the development of a homemaker centre concurrently with the preparation of the proposed amendment in accordance with Section 96A of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and that a draft Planning Permit be prepared for exhibition with the amendment.
3. not place the amendment and permit on exhibition until such time as traffic issues are resolved to the satisfaction of VicRoads and the responsible authority.

Presumably the traffic issues listed were dealt with to the satisfaction of the council, as in August 2005 the public was invited to view and comment on the proposal (media release), with submissions closing at the end of December 2005.

A total of 38 submissions were received regarding the development, of which 26 objected to it. As a result at a council meeting on June 27, 2006 the City of Greater Geelong decided to submit the proposal to an Independent Panel appointed by the state Minister for Planning – the minutes of the meeting in question:

Consideration of Submissions – Planning Scheme Amendment C98 Melbourne Road, North Geelong
27 June 2006

Cr Macdonald moved, Cr Dowling seconded –
That Council having considered all submissions to Amendment C98 to the Greater Geelong Planning Scheme resolves to:

1. request the Minister for Planning to appoint an Independent Panel under Part 8 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987;
2. refer all submissions to the Independent Panel; and
3. submit to the Independent Panel its response to the submissions as outlined in this report and Appendix 1-1.

It also gave further detail of the development proposal:

The subject land is a 15.19ha parcel of land located at the southern end of the existing Ford manufacturing complex on the Princes Highway at North Geelong from the current Industrial 2 zone to a Comprehensive Development Zone (CDZ). The subject site comprises the existing Ford Chassis Plant (to be partly demolished), two galvanized iron sheds, carpark area, grassed embankment and landscaped reclaimed area which falls north to Cowies Creek and a 1.8ha area used for parking immediately to the north of Cowies Creek.

• A ‘homemaker centre’ which comprises “big box” retail outlets (generally ranging from 1000m2 in area to 3400m2) that specialise in the sale of homewares, furniture and furnishings, hardware and related building products (Bunnings) comprising of 39,930m2 of peripheral retail floor area. Other allied activities including storage and convenience sales bring the total combined floor area to 40,845m2. A Draft Planning Permit No. 1701/2004 provides for the approval of this component.
• A ‘business park’ which comprises two free standing office buildings (nominally 6,920m2) geared to providing for specialised, high parking demand office activities such as call centres or associated with major industrial operations (i.e corporate headquarters).

The proposed development application (No 1701/2004) comprises the following elements:

• 15 retail restricted retail premises located in 3 buildings including part of existing plant building) with a total leasable floor area of 28,830m2
• 1 trade premises (Bunnings) with a total leasable floor area of 10,300m2;
• A restaurant and convenience shop building (425m2 LFA);
• An existing building to be used for storage (490m2 LFA);
• 1350 car parking spaces;
• 2 signal controlled entries aligned with Cowie and Collopy Street intersections;
• 4 pylon (open framed) signs;
• Peripheral site landscaping including an environmental management zone along Cowies Creek alignment and some site excavation and filling.

Following an 11 day hearing in October and November 2006, the Independant Panel recommendated that the development not go ahead in a report to Council dated December 2006:

For the reasons outlined in this report, the Panel appointed to consider Amendment C98 to the Greater Geelong Planning Scheme and Planning Permit Application No 1701/2004 makes the following recommendations:

1. That Amendment C98 to the Greater Geelong Planning Scheme be abandoned.
2. That no permit be issued for Planning Permit Application No. 1701/2004.

The City of Greater Geelong agreed with the panel, with the minutes of the June 12, 2007 council meeting stating the following:

Amendment C98 – Hometown – Consideration of Panel Report
12 June 2007

Cr Dowling moved, Cr Farrell seconded –
That Council:

1. abandon Amendment C98 to the Greater Geelong Planning Scheme; and
2. not issue Planning Permit Application 1701/2004.

With the proposal rejected by council, it was back to the drawing board for developer Quay Development Corporation. The Global Financial Crisis did not help matters, with parent company City Pacific starting a spiral towards collapse in March 2008, only to be forced into receivership in August 2009.

The end of the line came in February 2010 when the site was offered for sale by commercial real estate firm CBRE:

City Pacific liquidator instructs CBRE to sell iconic Geelong site
25 February 2010

One of Geelong’s last key gateway sites has been listed for sale on behalf of City Pacific liquidator Armstrong Wily. CB Richard Ellis has been appointed as the exclusive selling agent for the former Ford chassis component plant, under instructions from Armstrong Wily liquidators David Hurst and Andrew Wily. The substantial 309-343 Princes Highway property was formerly owned by City Pacific subsidiary Quay Development Corporation. The Geelong property is being offered for sale via Expressions of Interest, with a deadline closing date of Thursday 8th April, 2010. The campaign will be steered by CBRE agents Dean Hunt and Tom Haye.

After sitting on the market for over a year, a buyer was found in September 2011 – local carpet manufacturer Godfrey Hirst:

Godfrey Hirst buys old Ford plant
15 September 2011

Local carpet manufacturer Godfrey Hirst is planning to expand into the old Ford engine plant. It is understood the company bought 309 to 341 Melbourne Road earlier this year before applying to the City of Greater Geelong for a permit to accommodate carpet manufacturing there.

Godfrey Hirst has since moved into the empty warehouse, refitting the interior for their needs, and apparently annoying the neighbours with a dull rumbling noise:

EPA ‘silent on noise’
John Van Klaveren
19 October 2012

Nothh Geelong and Rippleside residents are frustrated at EPA inaction over their long-standing noise complaint.

A neighbours group of more than 20 residents says it has been working with the agency for more than 12 months to rectify the “deafening” noise.

She said the main noise culprit appeared to be a Godfrey Hirst factory in Corio Quay Road.

I guess the death of Australian manufacturing has been overstated.

Sources

• Timeline of the planning scheme amendment
• Council meeting minutes, 24 May 2005
• Council meeting minutes, 27 June 2006
• Council meeting minutes, 12 June 2007
• Documents relating to the planning scheme amendment
• FInal report of the Independent Panel

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Built to the same basic design, each vessel has an opening door at the bow and a hinged ramp at the stern, allowing cars to drive straight through the ferry without needing to turn around inside the car deck. With the two ferries crossing each other in the middle of the bay mid-voyage, while one ferry is loading cars at Queenscliff the other one will be doing the same over at Sorrento.

On the eastbound voyage cars drive aboard the ferry at Queenscliff via the bow door and leave via the stern ramp at Sorrento, with the reverse applying for the westbound voyage. So lets start at the Bellarine Peninsula end.

Ferries approach Queenscliff Harbour at speed, only slowing when they reach the ferry terminal at the tip of Larkin Parade.

On arrival at Queenscliff the ferry makes a straight in approach to the berth, lining up the bow door with the concrete ramp along the wharf.

At the berth a number of concrete mooring dolphins are used keeping the ferry in place during loading and unloading operations: three on the port side along the breakwater, with a single dolphin at the bow on the starboard side.

Once the ferry is tied up, the bow door can be opened and the cars driven off by their drivers.

The next load of cars can then be loaded – but this time they face the stern of the ferry.

At departure time the ferry reverses out of the berth, with the captain swinging the stern end around towards Swan Island using the bow thrusters.

After the bow is clear of the breakwater, the captain can then engage the main propellers and head on towards Sorrento.

On arrival at Sorrento the captain slows some distance away from the pier, as a number of smaller boats use the nearby boat ramp.

By the time the ferry has passed the pier, the captain is using the controls on the starboard side of the wheelhouse, in order to get a better view of the berth.

The next step is to swing the ferry around, and reverse in: six concrete mooring dolphins surround the berth so it is a tight fit, with only a metre or two clearance along each side.

The reverse parking move is over once the ferry touches the rear set of dolphins, after which the mooring ropes are tied up and the stern ramp lowered, allowing the cars to be unloaded.

The next load of cars can then be driven aboard, facing the opposite direction to the cars that just departed.

When departure time comes it is a speedy getaway: up goes the stern ramp, and the ferry powers straight out of the berth, making a 90 degree turn and then heading back across the bay to Queenscliff.

It looks like it is home time for me as well!

Footnote

Loading the much larger Spirit of Tasmania ferry has always intrigued me – I’ll have to book a trip on it just to find out how they do it.

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