It should be one of regional Victoria’s best attractions. No one seems able to fix it

In the peak of summer, Lorne Pier is among the coastal town’s most popular and longest-standing tourism attractions.

Each month from November to January, more than 90,000 people, on average, flock to the pier, which stretches out into the crystal clear water from Point Grey.

An aerial view of Point Grey and Lorne Pier.Credit: Justin McManus

Despite the immense popularity of the site, many attempts to redevelop the decrepit buildings at Point Grey have stalled or been abandoned over more than 25 years.

Now, the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority hopes to finally revive the site after releasing its latest urban design framework for the site in May.

The 1.7-hectare parcel of public land overlooks stunning coastline, which should make it among the most promising development opportunities in the state.

But residents and community leaders in Lorne say their hopes for the site have been sidelined and the authority’s latest vision for Point Grey is bound to fail. Again.

Lorne is among Victoria’s most popular coastal tourism towns. Credit: Eddie Jim

Until a few years ago, Point Grey hosted a popular seafood restaurant and fishing co-operative that served freshly caught fish to tourists and residents. They have since closed. The Lorne Historical Society has also left the site after receiving a notice to vacate in May, leaving the prime site vacant – save for a small bric-a-brac store – and falling into decay.

The urban design framework, which has been released for public comment, includes general plans for a food and drinks venue, car parking and public open space.

However, the Committee for Lorne has flagged a slew of concerns and argues the framework has failed to incorporate key functions that would serve residents and tourists.

The committee argues the framework slashes car parking space by 50 per cent, fails to honour Lorne’s commercial fishing and timber histories, and lacks boat washing facilities. There are also concerns about the absence of information about the food and drinks venue that is part of the plan.

Lorne Historical Society’s Peter Spring (left) and Lorne Angling and Aquatic Club’s Chris Tutungi at the pier.Credit: Justin McManus

Committee deputy chair Peter Spring, also a Lorne Historical Society member, said the new development at Point Grey should celebrate the town’s rich industrial heritage.

“It’s the last place to tell the story of Lorne,” he said.

By the time the now-vacant fishing co-op building was constructed on the site just before 1950, Point Grey had already been operating for decades as an entry point for tourists and transporting timber.

Spring blamed high staff turnover in the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority for contributing to Point Grey’s woes. The authority’s chief executive recently resigned, and Spring said there had been four project managers in three years working on the Point Grey development.

Lorne in the summer. Credit: Eddie Jim

“There’s no continuity of understanding what the community wants,” he said.

Many iterations of master plans have been explored since 1998 when the Lorne Coastal Action Plan recommended development at the site.

One of the most recent setbacks came in 2022 when the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal rejected plans for a 160-seat restaurant, outdoor recreation area and a new building for the Lorne Angling and Aquatic Club. The tribunal applied a threshold: if a project did not need to be on the coast, then it should not be there.

The new development has a total budget of $12.59 million, including more than $10 million in federal funding through the Geelong City Deal (a plan to revitalise the city), $2 million from the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority and almost $500,000 from the Lorne Aquatic and Angling Club.

An artist’s impression of the proposed development that was rejected in 2022.

But Chris Tutungi, a committee member of the aquatic and angling club, said the constant delays risked driving up construction costs and inflation, which would deplete the value of the final development.

“I believe that’s the biggest problem we’ve got,” he said.

Tutungi said facilities to wash boats and clean fish should be essential parts of the development, but he feared they might not be included. He also criticised plans for less parking.

“The car park is needed,” he said. “People drive here predominantly. Fishermen have a lot of equipment when they go to the pier.”

The crystal clear water off Point Grey in Lorne. Credit: Justin McManus

A spokesman for the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority said the organisation was working with the community to design a project that would provide long-term benefits for the region.

He said design concepts would be released this year and would focus on best reflecting the site’s long history, the look and feel of buildings, as well as facilities that could be included to support fishing and boating.

“The project will revitalise public land at Point Grey by creating new open spaces, great hospitality experiences and improved facilities for the fishing and boating community,” he said.

Anna Hurlimann, an urban planning associate professor at the University of Melbourne, said Point Grey was a unique location, but it faced challenges, particularly rising sea levels.

She said the site’s popularity with tourists and residents meant the authority needed to strike a fine balance to satisfy the needs of all its user groups.

“People have strong emotional ties to that site,” she said.

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