Re the article “Botany Bay cables concern” (Leader, June 29).
This is modification 4 to the Part 3A State Significant project submitted in 2006.
Key design features of the original project - such as the route and depth of cables - was dictated by Sydney Ports Corporation (now privately owned NSW Ports).
While modification 4 is small there are two major issues.
The first concerns the lack of consultation with key stakeholders and the second relates to the broader context of a growing Port Botany and the inevitable environmental impacts of dredging and widening of the shipping channel.
We now have a Greater Sydney Commission www.greatersydneycommission.nsw.gov.au which is charged with getting the balance right between growth and social and environmental sustainability.
They need to take a look at Botany Bay and the plans for its future (see NSW Ports 30 year plan www.nswports.com.au.
Lynda Newnam
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Ausgrid has constructed an underground cable under Botany Bay over the last few years.
In addition, the Botany Bay Ports expansion and Desalination Plant all caused major impacts on local marine life.
The muddy water created by the construction had a serious detrimental effect on local marine life by creating turbidity.
Everything in the entire food web dies as there is much less light for marine plants to grow food and siltation fouls up marine fauna and flora.
Animals such as the iconic Weedy Sea Dragon suffered greatly as a result of the poor water quality.
In spite of so called Environmental Assessment, Ausgrid are doing it again with Modification 4.
They really are doing a lot of damage to the environment. Again!
Scuba divers go down there and actually see the devastating results of these projects.
The underwater ecosystem will suffer greatly one more time.
Mike Scotland
