THE SHOCK closure of the Newhaven Jetty has now been classified as permanent which has been slammed by locals.
Documents requested under Freedom of Information (FOI) by Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Public Land Use and Nationals’ MP Melina Bath, have revealed the popular fishing jetty will not be re-opened.
Ms Bath said Bass Coast residents should be outraged by the FOI documents which have exposed the State Government’s appalling decision to do nothing when the jetty could have been kept open.
The documents show the jetty’s closure was labelled not negotiable after the Government failed to fund and perform corrective and preventative maintenance, after the southern arm of the Newhaven jetty was closed six years earlier.
“Labor’s refusal to divulge specifics of the engineering assessment that led to the jetty’s closure is clearly a strategy to avoid scrutiny,” said Ms Bath.
“Public communications approved at the time were more about managing political fallout and not about creating a pathway to reopening the jetty.”
The Nationals’ MP said deteriorating decking had become a tripping hazard on the northern arm and a small area on the approach, both easily repairable.
Ben Dennis from Saltwater Phillip Island restaurant said the jetty was incredibly important to their 20-year lease, which they invested in after it was sold to them as the ‘Newhaven Jetty Shed’.
“I personally feel the government have let us down and misled us, with no support at all,” he said.
“This is one of the most heavily utilised assets in the region for locals and tourists, which could be put back into operation for minimal costs.”
Fishing Nanna, Amanda Keilar, highlighted the community felt ‘abandoned, disappointed and let down’.
“The whole time we were out collecting signatures on our petition to the government to have the jetty repaired and reopened it had already been classified as permanently closed and not negotiable.
That information was hidden from us by the State Government even after letters had been written, why couldn’t they have just been upfront with us?” she said.
“We also feel angry that the FOI questions revealed the jetty was repairable! It was deemed a tripping hazard due to deterioration of the decking and cross beams. It could have been fixed to serve the community for another 10 years before it needed full replacing.”
Ms Bath said contrary to Parks Victoria’s objective to repair the jetty, ‘Labor’s focus was on cost-cutting and closure”.
“Three options were put forward by Parks Victoria,” according to Ms Bath.
The first option was to do nothing.
The second option, according to Ms Bath, was corrective maintenance to replace failed beams and decking boards, and the third option was preventative maintenance which would have seen a temporary or partial closure of the jetty while it was upgraded over 18 months.
“It is clear from the FOI documents that maintenance would have allowed the jetty to remain open for a further ten years before being replaced,” claimed Ms Bath.
“Labor did nothing and has turned its back on the Bass Coast community.”
“The local community has for over one hundred years valued the Newhaven jetty as an important accessible land-based recreational fishing platform.
“It must be repaired and reopened.
“Too often regional Victorians are having their public assets neglected and closed due to the State Government’s inner-city big build that’s been shrouded in corruption, financial mismanagement and waste.”
Contacted for comment local MP, Jordan Crugnale, said: “We understand that Newhaven Jetty plays an important role in the local community for recreation, including fishing and walking.
“The jetty will continue to be prioritised under the Sustainable Local Ports Framework for future investment.”
