Imagine an Australia where we have no ocean outfalls

Clean Ocean Foundation was established in 2000 by families, fisherman, and surfers who became concerned at the high level of pollution at Mornington Peninsula (VIC) surf beaches, particularly Gunnamatta - getting sick themselves as a result.

Realising the seriousness of this and seeing others in the community be affected, it was time to advocate for change, advocate for the protection of our marine environment, the health of our communities and for standardised, worlds best practice management of wastewater across Australia.

Our efforts have seen us:

• successfully petition the Victorian State Government to commit over $400 million to upgrade Eastern Treatment Plant that discharges to Boags Rocks Shoreline Outfall - the closest outfall where the issues were first experienced at Gunnamatta.

• develop and maintain, in conjunction with the National Environment Science Program, University of Tasmania (UTAS) and the Marine and Coastal Hub, the National Outfall Database (NOD) - the first ever freely accessible database on the 192 coastal outfalls discharging waste around Australia.

• lobby the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to raise Australia's recreational water guidelines to ensure alignment with the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards.

• play an active role as a member in Open Cities Alliance, advocating for a circular economy approach to infrastructure, of which wastewater treatment plants is critical to the conversation

• in a legal first for Victoria, be appointed under new environmental legislation, as an agency stakeholder for the $85 million Warrnambool Sewage Treatment Plan Upgrade project. This was as a result of our approach to constructively support and empower local community groups, particularly through appeals to VCAT relating to the controversial Warrnambool effluent issues.

• secure the support of over fifty prominent leaders in the water, environment, health, community and circular economy in an open letter to The Honourable Tanya Plibersek MP, Minister for the Environment and Water urging her to take a bold leadership stance on water recycling, of which was acknowledged in her speech at the Ozwater Conference in May 2024. Agreeing that “given that we live in the driest inhabited continent on Earth, we could and should be a global leader in this area”.

• successfully identifying the “achilles heel” of the offshore gas exploration industry worldwide - our scientific panel raising to NOPSEMA the devastating impacts seismic blazing has on krill (marine crustacean), that underpins the entire ecology of the ocean including whales. This saw TGS abandoning its proposal to reach for gas off the South West Victorian coastline. We will continue to work with communities to oppose reckless projects such as these that threaten marine life and accelerate climate change.