Save Newhaven Jetty petition tabled, bring on the debate

The Save Newhaven Jetty Petition has been tabled in state parliament by Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Public Land Use and The Nationals’ Member for Eastern Victoria, Melina Bath on behalf of the Bass Coast community.

The petition signed by 3587 residents meets the criteria to trigger a future debate in the upper house.

Ms Bath congratulated Bass Coast locals for their determination to save the jetty after it was closed without consultation by the Allan Labor Government on 1 May.

“Labor will now be called on to explain why it decided to abandon the community and barricade a well-used public asset and popular accessible recreational fishing platform.

“Documents released under my freedom of information (FOI) request reveal Newhaven Jetty is repairable and maintenance would extend its life by 10 years before it needs replacing.

“They also outline that it was high on the state’s investment priority list, information that Labor has deliberately concealed.

“Parks Victoria bureaucrats were ordered to avoid talking publicly about the ‘what ifs of funding’ and its priority to protect the local member and Allan Labor Government.

“Labor deliberately omitted the jetty’s investment priority status and has misrepresented its potential for repair from all public communications.

“Questions must be answered as to why the Newhaven Jetty was number two on an internal investment priority list, but funding was rejected by the Allan Labor Government in the 2024 budget.

“The jetty was second only to Brighton Pier, a public asset which received a whopping $24 million for maintenance three years ago to maintain public access.”

Ms Bath said she sympathised with residents who feel that Labor has abandoned the prospect of repairing their jetty to focus on its inner-city big build projects shrouded in financial mismanagement and waste.

“Reported costs to repair the Newhaven Jetty vary wildly with FOI documents quoting $120,000, $530,000, $2.2 million then $3 million plus – with the department even labelling the numbers as ‘shaky’ in its emails.

“Labor can’t money, can’t manage public assets and Bass Coast locals are paying the price.”