Save Port Phillip Bay from Toxic Discharges UPDATE #4, 14 September 2026
CALL TO ACTION !
Dear supporters,
In the last update, I mention we were working on presenting the petition in person to the three key ministers in the Victorian Government: Ben Carroll as Premier, Sonya Kilkenny, Minister for Planning and Jaclyn Symes, Minister responsible for the Environment. We approached all three to make an appointment for the in-person hand over of the petition and the now more than 8500 signatures.
The first response was an auto reply from the Office of the Premier, stating that they would not even look at our email for at least 8-10 weeks. This means that the Office of the Premier has in effect put a gag on 8500 petitioners for 2.5 months. This is not a good look for a Premier who is working hard to distance himself from the secrecy and excesses of the Andrews/Allan era. So far we have not had a response from the 2 other Ministers. In an attempt to bypass the gag, we went to #1 Spring Street in order the hand deliver the petition directly to the government offices. There we were told this was no longer possible either and were advised to just to put it in the mail, which would leave us with no idea where it would end up.
The Bay cannot wait 8-10 weeks. Given the IAC’s schedule, the advice to the Planning Minister will have to be published by the middle of October, but could come as early as next week. With the elections looming, there is the possibility the government will push the approvals through before they government goes into care taker mode. (3 November)
We are now working on other ways to get the petition to the 3 Ministers directly, but in the meantime you can help by doing one or all of the following things:
1. Send a short email to Ben Carroll, our Premier, Sonya Kilkenny, Minister for Planning and Jaclyn Symes, Minister for the Environment, expressing your anger over this treatment of 8500 citizens, at the following email addresses :
ben.carroll@parliament.vic.gov.au
jaclyn.symes@parliament.vic.gov.au
sonya.kilkenny@parliament.vic.gov.au
The text could be as simple as:
Dear < Premier Carroll/Minister Symes/Minister Kilkenny>
My name is <your name>
I am one of the 8500 petitioners asking your Government to not approve Vopak’s proposal to discharge 480 million litres of toxic discharge into Port Phillip bay, each day for the next 10 years. I am now being told, your government won’t even get look at our petition for the next 8-10 weeks minimum. This is not what I expect from a government that is asking to be re-elected in November.
Please re-consider.
Sincerely,
<Your name or signature>
2. Ask your local State MP to write to the 3 ministers and ask for an explanation as to why we are being prevented from being heard.
3. Express you disappointment/anger on social media and share widely
We will report back once the petition has been delivered
Many thanks from the Save Port Phillip Bay team
Maarten Koster
Save Port Phillip Bay