By Marcus Uhe
Alex Stroud is renewing calls to have the jetties at Warneet North and Warneet South rebuilt and reopened after they were unexpectedly closed in June 2020 by Parks Victoria due to safety concerns.
Mr Stroud is the commodore of the Warneet Motor Yacht Club and said his club and its 250 members had been significantly affected by the closures, as it has restricted their ability to host visitors to the club and conduct boating activities.
He has explored numerous options for action to be taken, including contacting his federal MP, Member for Holt, Anthony Byrne, who requested the Victorian Minister for Fishing and Boating, Melissa Horne to reopen the jetty at Warneet North.
The request was deemed “not feasible given the poor condition of the jetty” by Minister Horne in November 2021.
The potential “catastrophic” danger posed by an emergency evacuation is another of Mr Stroud’s concerns given Warneet’s isolation.
“Warneet is one road in, one road out, surrounded by bushland reserve,” Mr Stroud said.
“In event of bushfire, the jetties would be deemed a safe evacuation point.
“Mallacoota is a perfect example; they would have never thought that they would need to escape by naval ship. But you only need one fire.”
Parks Victoria is responsible for maintaining the jetties, and claim to undertake regular safety inspections, however, Hastings MP Neale Fergus said no such safety inspection had taken place since 2011.
A six-metre section of the jetty at Warneet South was removed in 2020 after it was deemed not safe for public use, having reached the end of its structural life and was considered at risk of failure.
The Warneet Marine Precinct Plan, released in December 2021, recommends rebuilding the boat ramp and upgrading the carpark facilities at Warneet North, which Mr Stroud claims is “insulting”, as it does not directly address the club and residents’ concerns, despite consultation between Warneet Foreshore Committee of Management and Better Boating Victoria, who oversee the state government’s investment in boating infrastructure and facilities.
“Warneet residents and boating groups are not in favour of the upgrades until the jetties’ ramp and carpark have been restored,” Mr Stroud said.
“The message (at consultation meetings) was loud and clear that residents and boating groups wanted jetties completed first.”
The replacement of the jetties was considered a key recommendation of the Precinct Plan, however, no funding is assigned for future upgrades, according to a government spokesperson.
“The Warneet Boating Precinct Plan was released in December to help to progress the next step in preparing for upgrades to several maritime assets in Warneet,“ the Government spokesperson said.
“The steps identified in the plan include developing detailed designs and approvals for boating facility and jetty upgrades, and will be progressed alongside the responsible authorities.
“We have taken action, working collectively with asset managers and the community to confirm a future vision for the precinct.”
Detailed plans will now be prepared for construction and approvals for future upgrades of maritime infrastructure in Warneet, the spokesperson said.
Mr Stroud has established a Facebook group to raise awareness of the situation at Warneet, which you can join at facebook.com/groups/133989648536696/
