Structural works close Bayside landmark for up to a month
Nearby businesses preparing to reopen are angry the iconic Middle Brighton Pier has been suddenly closed for non-urgent repairs, arguing it couldn’t be a worse time. But authorities say they have a very good reason to do the work now.
Leader
Don't miss out on the headlines from Leader . Followed categories will be added to My News.
Parks Victoria has angered Brighton residents who say they arrived for work this morning to find Middle Brighton Pier sealed off for up to a month without adequate warning.
The Royal Brighton Yacht Club said they had been told there “might” be work at the historic pier but didn’t expect to find it closed off completely.
Construction will begin on shoring up the concrete slabs on a section of the pier which was built in 1977 and provides access to the Royal Brighton Yacht Club.
Initial works will cost about $800,000 and are part of a state government plan to get people back working following COVID-19.
But the closure is a significant blow for the yacht club and The Baths cafe as they neared reopening following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.
General Manager of Brighton Yacht Club Hannah Catchpole said the closure would have a major affect on the way they operate.
“It’s huge for us, having it closed comes as a bit of a shock,” she said.
“We’re looking at ways we can ferry members out to their yachts and get them out there, but nothing is locked in yet.”
Ms Catchpole said the club had been notified on Friday that works “might” take place, but only got exact details this morning when workers showed up.
“We got an email on Friday afternoon telling us to keep our vehicles clear of the pier,” she said.
“It wasn’t a definite but the writing was on the wall, they wouldn’t have told us that otherwise.
“But really, we just got here this morning and Parks Victoria showed up and shut the whole thing down.”
She said the pier was a busy place for emergency service craft that use it to moor and said the club moors its own safety boats there when training kids.
While The Baths cafe can still be accessed and is open for takeaway coffees and food, Ms Catchpole said the works may affect people swimming in the closed-off section next to the pier.
MORE NEWS:
CASH INJECTION FOR BAYSIDE SCHOOLS
VICTORIAN LOCAL SPORT’S STATE OF PLAY
BAYSIDERS FACE RATE HIKE FROM DEBT-FREE COUNCIL
Last May the yacht club and a specialist marine engineer called for a long-term solution to secure the pier’s future, saying the “1938 bend” section at the end of the harbour was at serious risk of collapse within five years unless rotting timber was replaced.
A Parks Victoria spokesman said structural testing would be done before remediation works can be scheduled as part of the Building Works program.
“These works will protect the iconic pier for the future and Parks Victoria will work to ensure access to the pier is reinstated as soon as possible,” they said.
State MP for Brighton James Newbury said it was a “national disgrace” the pier was closed.
“This is a historic pier as old as Brighton,” he said.
“This is a tourist hub and thousands of people visit this historic site a day and the closure will have a significant effect on local clubs and businesses,” he said.
A section of Black Rock Jetty has also been closed for public safety reasons because one of the wooden posts supporting it has failed.
Mariners are still able to launch vessels at the nearby Half Moon Bay boat ramp.