Emily Chapman Laing
After a long fight, Warneet’s jetties are finally being replaced, and the community could not be happier.
“It is wonderful news and it’s a credit to everybody who has been involved in it,” said Warneet Foreshore Committee of Management Thelma Wakelam.
“A lot of people have done a lot of work on this.
“We’ll all be really pleased to see something happening.”
The State Government announced a $47 million package of works in the budget on Tuesday 23 May, dedicated to rebuilding piers and jetties across the state.
This is a huge win for locals who have been crying out for support for the last three years.
The North jetty was closed in June 2020 due to safety concerns, with the South jetty being completely shut by Parks Victoria in September 2022.
Commodore Warneet Motor Yacht Club and Head of Save Warneet Jetties Alex Stroud said the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
“There’s a lot of support and a lot of push behind this and there’s certainly a lot of positive comments coming back from the wider community,” he said.
“We’ve got nearly 800 supporters on our Facebook page and they are certainly relieved and joyed to hear that the jetties will open again.”
Mr Stroud said he is happiest for those without boats who will soon be able to enjoy the “heart and soul” of the Warneet township.
“The people that miss out the most on the jetties are the ones who don’t have boats, who can’t go fishing and can’t enjoy what Warneet has to offer,” he said.
“So they’re the ones I’m most pleased for that they’ll soon again be able to go on the jetty, go fishing, go walking and enjoy the crown jewel of Warneet.”
With this massive triumph vibrating throughout the community, the residents are in suspense waiting to hear when construction will begin.
“We haven’t seen the final drawings for the plan or tenders, there’s been no discussion of when tenders will go out or how they will look,” Mr Stroud said.
“It’d be great if we could have a road map of the progress.
“Definitely people are wanting to know a timeline and the community would very much like not to be kept in the dark.”
Mr Stroud’s sentiments are certainly shared by other members of Save the Warneet Jetties.
Warneet Foreshore Committee of Management Mary Nymyer said she was overjoyed to hear about the new funding.
“I’m extremely happy, but I’ll be happier when construction commences and the money is getting into contracts.
“It’s not just about people who don’t have boats, it’s also disabled groups who come down in buses and retirement villages who come down and use it as well.
“It’s not just recreational, there’s a whole lot of other people in the community that need access to those jetties as soon as possible.”
For other members of the Save The Warneet Jetties group, the question is now one of when they will see tangible action taken on the rebuild.
“We’d like to know when the tenders are going to be called for, what the process is and how long that’s going to take,” said Warneet Foreshore Committee of Management Keith Williams.
“The job now is to get them built.”
Warneet Motor Yacht Club Member Ken Drane said he’s glad the money has been allocated, but he’d “like to see some of it getting spent” both on the new jetties and their future upkeep.
“It would be good if there was some sort of plan in place for ongoing maintenance,” he said.
“The reason they were going to close the jetties down is because they had been neglected for 20-30 years.
“Building new jetties is really good, but maintaining them so they don’t fall to pieces would be even better.”
Warneet Motor Yacht Club Member Ian Gale said the Warneet community has been able to share their opinions on the look of the new structures.
“There has been some collaboration, which was good to see,” he said.
“What we’re really asking for is that there is continued community consultation and that the community knows the timelines, and can say that we’re actually getting what we want.”
The Warneet community is excited to welcome back not only a place for recreation, but an important feature for safety in their town.
“If there is a bushfire, there’s one road in and out of the community,” Mr Stroud said.
“If people want to evacuate, they will go down to the waterway.”
Other members explained the jetties are the only access for ambulances and rescue efforts for any incidents occurring in deep waters, beyond the shallow reach of the boat ramp.
Bass MP Jordan Crugnale has been instrumental in saving the jetties, locals say.
“We are delivering on our $9.5M commitment to rebuild both North and South Jetties in Warneet and I want to take this opportunity to thank the Save the Warneet Jetties committee and the local community who ran a fantastic collective coordinated campaign – great things happen when we listen, work with and walk side by side with our community,” Ms Crugnale said.
“The jetties are the heart of Warneet.
“I can’t wait to share the designs with the Warneet community and see this amazing project move into planning for the construction stage.”
Ms Crugnale said preliminary designs were completed by Better Boating Victoria late last year as part of the Warneet Boating Precinct Plan.
“In close association with Parks Victoria, the detailed designs for the jetties are progressing well along with the boat ramp and car park upgrades,” she said.
