Saltwater Phillip Island Restaurant owner Ben Dennis says Newhaven Jetty closure has had a wide impact on the community

A Phillip Island restaurant owner says the closure of a jetty that provides a picturesque view has decreased function bookings at his venue.

‘Who wants to get married in front of a construction fence?’: A Phillip Island restaurant owner says the closure of a nearby jetty that provides a picturesque view has affected bookings at the venue. Picture: Jack Colantuono

A Phillip Island business owner says the sudden closure of a popular jetty is sinking his restaurant.

The Newhaven Jetty was shut at the end of April by Parks Victoria, due to structural failures that pose a safety hazard.

The jetty’s closure has left fishing lovers and families devastated, who have described the jetty as one of the best spots for pier fishing.

Saltwater Phillip Island Restaurant owner Ben Dennis told the Herald Sun he hosted 10 to 20 weddings a year and wanted to push more, but the jetty’s closure made that challenging.

“Our business relies on the jetty and the views for our weddings and general trade — a lot of customers come down here — day trippers, locals and tourists alike, they come down here for the view,” he said.

“Weddings are our focus, but who wants to get married in front of a construction fence?

“We’re really worried now — we need the community support to try and get it repaired.”

Mr Dennis said he was only notified the jetty would close the night before it shut.

“No one knew it was going to happen,” he said.

“The very next day we had couples come through and they’ve gone straight to the fence and I can see their faces and they ask questions about it — and I don’t even know what to say.

“We’ve had weddings where they’ve rocked up on boats and all the guests stand on the jetty — it’s just such a beautiful spot for them to arrive that way.”

Mr Dennis said wedding parties also travelled to the jetty for photos.

“It’s magic,” he said.

“It’s quite upsetting — there’s no answers yet — we need to know what’s going to happen with it.”

In the long term, he hoped Parks Victoria had a plan to fix and rebuild the jetty.

“It’s why people live around here, they live here for these reasons — it’s like closing a beach down.”

Dozens of community members gathered at the Newhaven Jetty on Friday to voice their concerns. Picture: Jack Colantuono

On Friday, a “Save Newhaven Jetty” community meeting was held, with Mr Dennis, Eastern Victorian National MP Melina Bath, Women in Fishing advocate Amanda Keilar, fisherman Russell Allan and dozens of impacted community members in attendance.

Ms Bath said she would continue to advocate for the historic jetty to be fixed.

Nationals MP Melina Bath expressed the importance of the jetty and the role it plays in the community. Picture: Jack Colantuono

“It is shocking that the Labor Government’s only move was to erect unsightly mesh fencing, lock people out and state it would be closed ‘indefinitely’, rather than communicate any plans that provides certainty for its upgrades and future,” she said.

“Newhaven Jetty joins an ever-growing list of Parks Victoria assets falling into disrepair — right across the state we are seeing a wicked situation where public assets and public land are not being actively maintained.”

Community members showed up in support where they listened to Ms Bath’s speech. Picture: Jack Colantuono

Ms Bath has encouraged people to sign a petition to restore the jetty, which has received almost 700 signatures.

“It’s all about community, it’s all about tourism, it’s all about lifestyle, it’s about fishing and it’s about economy,” she said.

A Victorian government spokesperson said engineering inspections determined the jetty was “no longer safe for public access”.

The spokesperson said the government had spent more than $150m in jetty repairs and upgrades since 2018, and the Newhaven Jetty would be “prioritised” for future investment.

“And we won’t take lectures from the Nationals who did nothing for local piers and jetties when they were last in government,” the spokesperson said.

The government will continue to assess priorities for investment in piers and jetties under its sustainable local ports framework, and Parks Victoria will continue to monitor the condition of the jetty.