Future Projects 

Artificial Reefs

DIVA will be looking at various locations and methods of creating artificial reefs to increase interest from local, interstate and overseas divers and to create more habitats for our unique marine life.

Even though we have been successful in securing The Ex-HMAS Canberra this fine new dive site for divers visiting Victoria

DIVA will continue to search for more suitable ships for scuttling in the future and the hunt is now on to locate more suitable ships and other structures to sink both in Port Phillip Bay and in Bass Strait.

New wreck for Port Phillip Bay

DIVA is searching for a potential wreck to make safe for diving & scuttle as another great Victorian wreck dive.  DIVA is striving to draw more divers to Victoria from other states and increase our status as an international diving destination. Create more public awareness on issues affecting our marine environment,  By achieving this, DIVA will create more interest in scuba diving/snorkelling as a sport for young and old. 

This is also a long term goal to raise DIVA's reputation as an active and valuable consultant, working with government departments on future issues that arise affecting our diving environments and has already been achieved to varying degrees.

 Northern Pacific Sea star collection

DIVA is very interested in the distribution of this marine pest.  If you sight the Northern Pacific sea star, remove it from the water and discard it.  Do not cut them up and return them to the ocean. This will simply make several new stars.  Please inform DIVA of the location and amount of sea stars sighted (such as a few scattered around or in plague proportions!)   

Victorian Diving Industry Code of Practice

This document has been revised by DIVA and has been available in final draft form for public comment.  The document has been sent to all relevant diving industry parties as well as Parks Victoria, Marine Safety and Water Police etc.  The comments DIVA has received have been helpful and constructive and DIVA thanks all those who put in the effort to read the document and send in their comments. The document is now finalised.

Adventure Activity standards

This document is a code affecting all "adventure" type sports. DIVA has played an active role with respect to the diving and snorkelling section of this document. The AAS will adopt DIVA's code of practice with some minor changes.   Visit www.orc.org.au for further info.

South Gippsland Marine Park Area Management

DIVA has an active role on the committee of this marine park management.   Port Phillip Heads Marine Park Area Management DIVA has an active voice on the management of this marine park area also. 

DIVA Constitution

DIVA is currently working on a revised and up to date Constitution.  

Marine Safety

DIVA has a active role on the Small Vessel Advisory Committee.

Dive Industry Liaison Group

In early 2007, PoMC established a Dive Industry Liaison Group (DILG) to ensure continued consultation and communications with the dive industry within Port Phillip Bay. Representatives from Dive Industry Victoria Association (DIVA), representing commercial diving interests, and the Scuba Divers Federation of Victoria (SDFV), representing recreational diving interests, meet on a regular basis with PoMC to discuss the Channel Deepening Project and diving in Port Phillip Bay. http://www.channelproject.com/community/dive_industry_liaison_group.asp

Port Phillip Bay Channel Deepening Project

The Minister for Planning, Robert Hulls, announced that the Port of Melbourne Corporation would be required to carry out a Supplementary Environment Effects Statement (SEES) for their proposed Channel Deepening Project.  Please see: www.portofmelbourne.com  for the planning panel's report & recommendations, the minister's media release and other important information. 

 

Despite the fact that DIVA has always maintained its strident opposition to the Channel Deepening Project we have maintained contact with the Port of Melbourne Corporation through our participation on the Port of Melbourne Corporation Channel Deepening - Dive Industry Liaison Group. This group was formed during the initial planning stages of the Channel Deepening project and through active representation at all meetings DIVA has been able to directly monitor the channel deepening schedule, environmental monitoring and operational restrictions that have affected scuba diver access to various dive sites during the dredging operations. Also our participation has given industry a direct conduit to voice operational concerns and incidents directly with the Port of Melbourne Corporation.

 

The good news is that the project is in its final stages in respect of operations in the southern portion of the bay and we expect that all works will be completed by the end of August in time for the upcoming dive season and the scuttling of the HMAS Canberra.

 

In order to continue to monitor the continued effects of the project on our dive sites and the general marine environment we ask that our members remain vigilant and advise our Secretary of any ongoing observations, incidents and issues. For up to date information on the project go to: www.channelproject.com

Victorian Dive Sites

 Victorian waters contain some of the most diverse marine life in the world.  Victoria has world class wreck and reef diving, much of which is protected by Marine Parks and the Historical Shipwreck Act.