Below are some Hansard extracts from the Victorian State Parliament dealing with Cerberus. The only changes from Hansard are that names of politicians have been highlighted and their political party indicated. What is encouraging is that everyone who speaks on Cerberus, regardless of their political party, is in favour of allocating sufficient funding to save her.
For our overseas supporters the Legislative Assembly is the Lower House of the Victorian Parliament and the Legislative Council is the Upper House. The "Other Place" refers to the house that the current speaker is not in.
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Hon. G. P. CONNARD (Higinbotham) —
I ask whether the Minister responsible for Ports has had his attention drawn to an article that appeared in the Sandringham-Brighton Advertiser of 24 March, headed $2m clean-up bill if Cerberus falls apart.
The Minister will have heard the zealous approaches by Mr Lawson and me on this matter. Since 1985 we have been trying to get something done about HMVS Cerberus. I will not go into the historical background of the matter, as Mr Lawson and I have demonstrated this to the House previously.
In February of this year, the Sandringham council commissioned consultants A. R. Colquhoun and Associates Pty Ltd to carry out an underwater survey of the ship's structure.
The conclusion of the consultants was that in the past 21 years - that is, since a similar survey was undertaken — there had been little evidence of structural deterioration.
Hon. D. R. White — Mr Lawson will move a point of order because this has been his issue since 1979!
Hon. G. P. CONNARD — The consultants said that they were unable to predict when the hull would collapse, but if it did suddenly collapse, it would prove far more difficult and expensive to remove than if the Cerberus could be restored. They forecast that it would prove far cheaper in the long run to refloat the Cerberus for eventual restoration.
On 16 March the council decided to make further approaches to the Port of Melbourne Authority and the State government in respect of the transfer of the responsibility for the ship.
Accordingly, I ask the Minister responsible for Ports whose responsibility it is if the hull suddenly collapses. Is it the responsibility of the Port of Melbourne Authority, of the government, or of the council? I ask the Minister to consider the problem as a matter of urgency and as one relating to a potential ecological disaster, and will he consider the detailed report of council regarding the removal of the Cerberus to be reconditioned for historic purposes?
Hon. D. R. WHITE (Minister for Manufacturing and Industry Development) —
Mr Connard referred to the condition of the hull of Cerberus and requested that the matter be considered as a matter of urgency. I am not sure whether it is urgent considering the time the hull has been in its present location.
Hon. G. P. CONNARD — I have been trying to get you to do something since 1985.
Hon. D. R. WHITE — If he can provide information about his concerns I shall pass that on to the Port of Melbourne Authority and ask it to provide me with information.
Hon. P. A. KATSAMBANIS (Monash) — One of the more significant provisions relates to the power given to the executive director of the Heritage Council to use historic shipwrecks and shipwreck relics and archaeological artefacts. As a bayside member I am particularly aware of the more than 600 shipwrecks known to have occurred along the Victorian coastline, many of which occurred within Port Phillip Bay. I would also like to make particular reference to the historic relic, HMVS Cerberus which, prior to Federation, was the flagship of the Victorian navy. That ship was scuttled in 1929 to provide a breakwater adjacent to the Black Rock pier. The wreck is not technically a shipwreck, nevertheless the vessel is included on the Heritage Council register and is an important item of heritage within my electorate. Cerberus was one of the most important naval vessels, and her design was a prototype from which all modern battleships evolved. It was the first ironclad monitor and as well as being driven by steam was armed with four huge cannons mounted on revolving turrets. It was designed after the prototype of USS Monitor, which was the armoured battleship that fought in the American civil war. I make particular reference to Cerberus in reference to the concept of demolition by neglect that is included in the bill. That vessel is now being subjected to the daily vicissitudes of salt water, the wind and wave action. Unless something is done quickly to stabilise and preserve the Cerberus it will need to be demolished because of public safety considerations. Accordingly, I urge the government to give consideration to the future of the vessel, which is of international maritime significance. I cast that request in the mould of the concept provided by the government of demolition by neglect. That vital heritage asset will certainly experience an early demise unless quick action is taken to save it.
Mr C. A. STRONG (Higinbotham)
— The issue I raise this evening through the Minister for Ports is for the attention of her colleague the Minister for Planning in her role in looking after shipwrecks, or it may be even for the attention of the Minister for Ports herself. It refers to HMVS Cerberus — 'HMVS' stands for Her Majesty's Victorian ship — which was once the pride of the Victorian navy and for many years the most powerful battleship in the Southern Hemisphere.
In 1926 the ship was sunk at Black Rock as a breakwater. Because of the vessel's historic significance — she was a monitor class vessel and is relevant to the transition from wooden ships of the line to the metal battleships of today — there is an understandable desire to preserve what is left of the ship as an important part of Victoria's and Australia's maritime history.
That is something I support.
Unfortunately this is a multimillion-dollar undertaking. Locally much ratepayers' money has been spent over many years looking at the question of preservation. For instance, between 1985 and 1992 the former Sandringham council spent $40,000 on various studies; in 1996, $16,700 was spent by Bayside City Council on further studies; and just a couple of weeks ago Bayside City Council voted another $12,500 for more studies.
I ask the minister to indicate clearly whether the government will support the multimillion-dollar expenditure to preserve the HMVS Cerberus so that a stop can be put to these ongoing studies which are draining the local ratepayers' purse.
Hon. C. C. BROAD (Minister for Energy and Resources ALP)— The Honourable Chris Strong made a request that I think is actually for the Minister for Planning in relation to her heritage responsibilities, which include shipwrecks. He requested the minister advise him whether there is support for the expenditure necessary to preserve the HMVS Cerberus. I will refer that request to the minister.
Mr PULLEN (Higinbotham ALP) — The issue I raise is
for the Minister for Planning in the other place, the
Honourable Mary Delahunty. Honourable members
will have received a letter dated 18 August from a
group known as the Friends of Cerberus requesting
funding for preservation and stabilisation works for the
former Her Majesty’s Victorian ship Cerberus, which
was purchased by the former Sandringham council and
scuttled at Black Rock as a breakwater in 1926. The
letter says in part that Cerberus is a unique maritime
treasure. She was ordered by the Victorian colonial
government to boost the defences of the colony and of
Melbourne — I think it was against the Russians. When
launched in 1868 she was at the cutting edge of
technological development. Her design incorporated a
number of firsts for a British warship. She was the first
British warship to be designed without sail, and she had
many other firsts. Cerberus served Australia well, with
over 50 years of active service, and became the first
flagship of the Victorian navy.
Following receipt of the letter, the member for
Mornington in the other place, the Honourable Robin
Cooper, asked members whether they would be
interested in joining a parliamentary Friends of
Cerberus group.
I am pleased to report that along with Mr Cooper (Liberal), the
member for Nepean in the other place, Martin Dixon (Liberal),
the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in this place, the
Honourable Andrea Coote (Liberal) and I got together with other
people. We had Peter Tully, Gary Grimmer, Doug
Oldfield, John Baragwanath and Ray Tyshing
representing the Friends of Cerberus. They put a
wonderful presentation on about Cerberus. They also
put on a similar presentation on 27 September — —
Hon. Andrea Coote (Liberal) — I was there!
Mr PULLEN — I said you were there! The
presentation was to the Parliamentary Secretary for
Environment, Ms Carbines (Labour), and me. Funding required
to restore Cerberus is around $5.5 million. Friends of
Cerberus are looking for joint funding from the federal
government and possibly a commitment from the
Bayside City Council. The problem is that the ship is in
imminent danger of total collapse via her turrets falling
through her decks. The Friends of Cerberus have
applied to the Heritage Council for $80,000 to remove
the four guns that weigh around 18 tonnes each — that
is a total weight of 72 tonnes. This is a first step. I call
on the minister to approve the application for
$80,000 to save the ship from collapse.
Ms MUNT (Mordialloc - ALP) — My adjournment matter is for the action of the Minister for Planning. I recently received a letter from a group known as the Friends of Cerberus calling for action and funding to save the Cerberus at Half Moon Bay. A colleague in another place, Noel Pullen, a member for Higinbotham, has met with this group and made vigorous representations on their behalf. The Cerberus sits in his electorate. HMVS Cerberus was purchased by the former Sandringham council and scuttled at Half Moon Bay to form a breakwater for the beach. Cerberus is a unique maritime treasure. She was owned by the Victorian colonial government, and at the time was an innovative warship whose task it was to protect Port Phillip Bay from enemy invasion. She was launched in 1868 and she was cutting-edge technology. She incorporated a number of firsts, such as being the first British warship to be designed without a sail. She served Victoria for over 50 years in active service and was in fact the last flagship of our Victorian navy. She has fallen into some disrepair now and may even collapse. Her turrets may fall through her decks. Many years ago I would jump off her and swim around her and walk around her decks. She was still in pretty good shape back then. She was a great playground for us kids. She had big signs on her telling us to keep off and not to go anywhere near her, but we had a good time playing on her and diving from her. However, she is in desperate trouble now. The funding required to restore her would be close to $5.5 million. I think it is a shame considering her historical importance to Victoria that she was not restored years ago when she was still in reasonable shape, but that time has probably passed, unfortunately. The Friends of Cerberus have applied to the Heritage Council for $80,000 for the removal of the four guns from her decks. They each weigh around 18 tonnes, so they are fairly hefty. I call on the minister to fund the required $80,000 so that this work can be done to save the guns on the Cerberus before it is too late.
Hon. ANDREA COOTE (Monash Liberal)
— My matter tonight is for Mr Hulls, the Minister for Planning in another place. But before I go on with that, I think today we have hit a low point in this place. I feel seriously ashamed to be part of it and to be in this chamber and see the disgraceful behaviour. The fact that it was not properly and adequately picked up is very disturbing for the standards and behaviour in this place.
For Mr Hulls, I want to talk about the HMVS Cerberus which, thanks to the federal government, has been included on the National Heritage List. On 14 December last year, Andrew Robb, the federal member for Goldstein, announced that the federal government — that is, the Howard government — had listed HMVS Cerberus, located in Half Moon Bay, Black Rock, on the National Heritage List.
This was done after some significant work by a number of people over a sustained time, but it was the federal government that finally did something about it.
Ms Carbines interjected.
The PRESIDENT — Order! Ms Carbines!
Hon. ANDREA COOTE — Indeed, the HMVS Cerberus was once the flagship vessel of the Victorian colonial navy. The Cerberus was named after a three-headed mythological dog and was regarded as the guard dog of Port Phillip Bay, having spent her career protecting from foreign attack Melbourne, the Victorian colony and the gold being mined in the Victorian goldfields. It was commissioned in the 1860s from Britain by the Victorian colonial navy and was, at the time, a revolutionary warship, being the first iron-hulled British warship designed without masts and to be powered purely by steam. She spent her career in the bay and was decommissioned in 1926 and scuttled in Half Moon Bay off Black Rock to act as a breakwater. Since that time she has steadily disintegrated. Recently the guns were taken off her deck to be stored so that she could be stabilised.
It is absolutely vital that the Cerberus has some significant funding allocated to stabilise it. I ask the minister: from this year's huge budget surplus will he provide the $7 million funding which is needed to stabilise the historically significant HMVS Cerberus?
Mrs COOTE (Southern Metropolitan - Liberal) — I call on the Bracks Labor government to fund as a matter of urgency the stabilising of HMVS Cerberus. The responsibility for the Cerberus is actually with the state government, but the federal member for Goldstein, Andrew Robb, lobbied the federal government successfully to have the Cerberus registered on the National Heritage List in December 2005. This highlighted to the community the importance of the Cerberus, and that additional work should be done on it.
Since that time the Bracks government has done absolutely nothing to support or to fund the Cerberus. I would like to refer to some facts about the Cerberus, for those members who do not know about it. It was launched in 1868.
It is the only monitor -- which is the first generation of modern battleships -- left in the world. It not only has a hull but it has its gun turrets and its guns. The design for the Cerberus was the first in the world to incorporate the combination of a central superstructure with fore and aft gun turrets. It is the only substantially intact surviving warship of any of Australia's pre-federation colonial navies. The Cerberus is the only surviving warship to have served in the Royal Australian Navy. As members can see, the Cerberus is a very important ship for Victoria and for Australia at large. I welcome the fact that it has been registered on the National Heritage List.
I call upon the Bracks government to do something soon.
Ms MUNT (Mordialloc - Labor) — The action I seek this evening is from the Minister for Planning in the other place, and it is in regard to the HMVS Cerberus in Sandringham. I ask the minister to encourage his department to continue meaningful talks with the federal Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, which is the department of Minister Garrett. The Friends of the Cerberus have been running a campaign for many years now to try to save the Cerberus, which is in Half Moon Bay. In its newsletter 86 it has reported that Minister Garrett has asked his department to arrange a meeting with Heritage Victoria to discuss the options and priorities for managing the Cerberus and following these discussions he will consult further with the Victorian Minister for Planning, the Honourable Justin Madden, on those options and priorities for managing the ship.
I would just like to give a brief history of the Cerberus because it is a fascinating story that is an important part of the history of Victoria. The HMVS Cerberus -- the HMVS stands for Her Majesty's Victorian ship -- is an exceptionally important ship, not only insofar as our local maritime history is concerned but for the naval history of the world. The Cerberus was launched in 1868 and marked the beginning of a new generation of steam-powered ships transforming the Victorian economy in an age when the main form of transport and trade was with England and continental Europe via the sea. Today the Cerberus is in fact the world's last remaining monitor warship. This proud and distinguished ship, which at one time was the pride of the Victorian Navy, made her final voyage to Half Moon Bay in 1926, where she has lain ever since. She has weathered the constant and unrelenting battering of the sea surprisingly well. However, the passage of time and the persistence of the elements led to a partial collapse in 1993, and the Cerberus continues to disintegrate at a rate of approximately 16 millimetres a year.
Over the last few years the Victorian government -- and it is a credit to the former minister, Mary Delahunty, and to a former member for Higinbotham in the other place, Noel Pullen -- has allocated $70,000 to save the turrets from the Cerberus, which have been removed. It is a local gem that is much loved by the local community. In my youth I used to jump off and swim around it, even though the signs said I should not, but it has deteriorated since that time.
I urge the minister to urge his department to continue the talks to see what can be done for the HMVS Cerberus in Half Moon Bay.