Docklands’ Central Pier to remain closed due to safety fears
In a shock announcement, Development Victoria has said no amount of investment can save Central Pier in Docklands and it will not reopen, devastating tenants who had invested millions of dollars into their businesses.
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The 100-year-old Central Pier in Docklands has been closed forever because of safety concerns.
Development Victoria made the shock announcement on Friday they would not allow the pier, to reopen. It has been closed since August.
The closure has devastated the tenants of the pier, who had asked the announcement be delayed while Victorians were dealing with a state of disaster.
“After an extensive 15-week assessment of Central Pier by engineering firm KBR, Development Victoria has decided not to reopen the 100-year old structure due to public safety concerns,” a statement said.
Development Victoria said an investigation and assessment revealed the rate of deterioration to the piles that support the pier was accelerating due to rot, marine borer and termite attacks.
That was despite previous repair work on the pier.
“Due to the complexity and age of the structure of the pier, repairs required to bring the pier back into service would be extensive. Even if we were to invest significant funds and time in repairs, our engineers advise the issues will continue to resurface without ongoing specialist maintenance work. This investment would still not guarantee that the pier can be made safe for public access in the medium to long term due to its ongoing deterioration,” chief executive of Development Victoria, Angela Skandarajah said.
Tenants on the pier have been told, but the Herald Sun understands there was no time for the affected businesses to tell staff before the DV announcement.
The Herald Sun revealed in November checks were carried out every two months in the 12 months to August this year by KBR failed to detect that almost a third of the piles under Shed 14 had some form of defects.
It’s believed about 28 per cent of the piles had some form of defects - and tenants questioned how they could have been missed.
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“We appreciate that this is not the news businesses and staff hoping to return to Central Pier want to hear. It has been a difficult decision and we regret that the pier must remain closed. “But we cannot support a lengthy and expensive repair program that cannot guarantee the pier’s safety for public use,” she said.
DV was committed to ensuring a future for Central Pier, and would work with Heritage Victoria, the community and a range of other stakeholders to identify opportunities to rebuild the pier so it could be safely used, she said.
A spokesman for the tenants of Central Pier said they were in “disbelief”.
“The safety of our 1300 staff members and customers has always been our number one priority and it is clear now that tens of thousands of people have been put at serious risk over a long period of time due to Development Victoria and its failure to maintain Central Pier.”
The timing of the announcement - when Victoria was in the grip of a bushfire crisis - was “ extremely disappointed”.
“We asked that the announcement be held off until the fire threat subsides and to allow us time to inform our workers and clients, but Development Victoria refused. Despite this, we will not be holding any press conferences until after the fire threat has subsided.”