The effects of climate change and marine pollution are becoming increasingly evident in the waters of Port Phillip. Spring and summer storms caused massive floods in the Yarra River’s catchments with debris and other pollutants eventually finding their way into the bay. For weeks after the storms, poor water quality made the bay unsafe for swimming, the foreshore was littered with all sorts of rubbish and floating logs were a hazard to yachts and powerboats alike.
RBYC, through its General Committee, Cleaner Sailing Sub-Committee and members, has an important part to play in keeping the bay as clean and pristine as possible, while at a broader level contributing to reducing carbon emissions and the amount of waste going to landfill. In response to the issues identified in the Club’s 2020 strategic plan and evolving community expectations some of the initiatives your Club has implemented include:
· The installation of a roof top solar system that has reduced our grid generated electricity consumption by around 33%. Not only does this add to the reduction of carbon emissions from coal fired power stations it also represents considerable monetary savings at a time of rising energy prices.
· An active recycling program of scrap metal and used lead- acid batteries. Lithium-ion batteries remain a recycling problem.
· Supporting a local environmental group that cleans the beach in front of the Club
· A recycling program that repurposes life jacket/PFD into useable bags. This provides employment for refugee women while the profits are distributed to a marine based charity. This program has been highly successful and continues to be well supported by members but please remember that the life jacket recycling yellow bin in the lower carpark is not a rubbish bin.
· A pilot program involving the provision of a scoop and bin for the collection of marine rubbish in the marina. To be successful, the pilot program needs the continued support of members and to ensure the bin is not used for the rubbish from your boat. In coming months, the Cleaner Sailing Sub-Committee will advise the Club on how best to implement the Victorian Government’s Container Deposit Scheme that is scheduled to commence in 2023. It is envisaged that this will significantly reduce the amount of drink and other containers going to landfill. To be successful, it will rely on members separating their refundable containers from general rubbish.
The General Committee has agreed to eliminate single use plastics at the Club by 2025. This is in line with the Marina Industries Association (MIA) pledge to eliminate single use plastics at members’ marinas by 2025. The MIA “on behalf of its membership acknowledges it is our members’ collective responsibility as custodians at this time to protect the maritime environment as our highest priority. Failure to do so “will contribute to the destruction of the biodiversity that allows the global environment to function. Our Industry relies on having clean waterways and a pristine marine environment”. The Cleaner Sailing Sub-Committee has been tasked with developing an implementation plan.
If you have any ideas on how the Club can add to its current initiatives and/or would like to become involved please feel free to contact the Cleaner Sailing Sub-Committee, through its chairperson, Andrew Merrett, or myself via the office.
Peter Demura
Vice Commodore