Push to get rid of St Kilda Beach ‘prison camp’

It’s been likened to a prison camp and shark cage, and St Kilda Beach traders want it gone. But what is Melbourne Water planning to do with the ugly metal cage in one of the city’s most popular spots?

Bill Garner and St Kilda’s “prison camp”. Picture: Josie Hayden

A metal cage at St Kilda Beach resembles a prison camp and is ruining tourism, locals say.

Once part of Brooks Jetty, which was demolished in 2015, the Shakespeare Grove stormwater drain’s outlet into Port Phillip Bay has been enclosed by a giant metal cage.

Melbourne Water said the covering was necessary to keep people off the deteriorating structure but St Kilda Tourism and Events president and Sea Baths manager Travis Atkins said the “shark cage” was bad for businesses that relied on tourists and visitors.

“St Kilda is the highest visited place in Victoria outside of the CBD, but having this in front of the beach is doing us no favours,” Mr Atkins said.

“It’s detracting from the local amenity having this unsightly thing in middle of a restaurant view.”

Shakespeare Grove drain structure, where Brooks Jetty once extended from, now enclosed by a metal cage by Melbourne Water. Picture: Josie Hayden

Long-term resident Bill Garner said the ugliness of the concrete pipe was exposed by the demolition of the Brooks Jetty.

“Surely they could come up with something more imaginative,” he said.

Brooks Jetty was demolished following several accidents and a death from people jumping off the structure.

“It’s ironic because (the demolition of Brooks Jetty) made things worse because now people jump off the outlet into even shallower water, because they can’t get to deeper water,” Mr Garner said.

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Melbourne Water media manager Catherine Garrett said the cage was a temporary measure until the drain was replaced.

Bur Ms Garrett said there wasn’t a lot of flexibility to change the footprint of the outfall drain as it connected to a larger drainage network and played an important role in preventing erosion of St Kilda Beach from wave action.

“We understand that St Kilda Beach is a Melbourne landmark so will look at opportunities to improve the look of the stormwater outfall where possible,” she said.

She said a design would be developed by late 2019, with works hoped to be underway by early 2021.

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