Author Archives: Warren Marshall

It’s time to change the narrative on Central Pier

Posted on 04/02/2021 - 12:54 pm by

The past few months have brought further division on the issue of Docklands’ sleeping giant Central Pier, in a situation where there are proving to be no winners.

In December, the pier’s owner Development Victoria (DV) announced that it was preparing to remove the western tip of Central Pier from Victoria Harbour as it begins the process of “safely revitalising the historic Victorian dock”.

As DV pointed out in a press release issued on December 15, the pier’s western tip has been inaccessible for several years after being deemed structurally unsound. That section, as well the entire pier, requires a permit from Heritage Victoria before it can be touched.

This news was followed by DV releasing an expression of interest for “demolition works” of Central Pier on December 21, seen by Docklands News. While DV said the timing of the tender release was dependent on a heritage permit being submitted, it was approved back in March last year.

And while this document could easily be dismissed as a “tyre kicking exercise”, a phrase some within DV have used to describe the process, it calls for expressions of interest into the possible “demolition, removal and disposal of buildings, structures and all remaining assets”.

There is little doubt that should the heritage-listed pier be reinstated in the future, it will require extensive demolition across various sections before heritage elements can be retained and restored, and the pier rebuilt.

That is, at least, what the community expects. And after a story appeared in The Age in January unearthing Federal Court documents from the case between DV and its anchor tenant Atlantic Group, which exposed DV’s knowledge of the pier’s critical condition long before its sudden closure in August 2019, it’s what the community deserves.

But DV’s press release titled “Western tip of Central Pier to be removed” and an ensuing document putting out the feelers for possible demolition of the pier in its entirety, is somewhat presumptuous without the all-clear from Heritage Victoria.

And while DV clearly states it is working with Heritage Victoria on this journey, to the awaiting public and local community in Docklands, these moves set a narrative that the cart has left before the horse.

The future of Central Pier is, according to DV, still undetermined and long-term planning for its resurrection will only be done so with “extensive engagement with the community and key stakeholders to create a vision for Victoria Harbour and Central Pier.”

“DV is currently preparing to remove the western tip of Central Pier from Victoria Harbour in Docklands. The scope of works across the rest of Central Pier is yet to be determined,” Geoff Ward, Group Head, Precincts, DV, said.

“We’re working closely with Heritage Victoria on the long-term plans for Central Pier, and we will consult with the community and local business throughout the process.”

But for a community that is eagerly awaiting clear information on its maritime asset, the prospects, whether real or not, of demolitions being earmarked without knowledge is the wrong narrative to be setting.

This coupled with the piece in The Age published on January 19, which exposed DV’s alleged knowledge of the pier’s risk of “catastrophic failure” around 10 months before the pier’s sudden evacuation, doesn’t help DV’s cause either.

Click here for the full article

Central Pier closure came suddenly, urgently, but after years of warnings

Posted on 19/01/2021 - 1:49 pm by

The Victorian government agency in charge of the shuttered Central Pier at Docklands knew for almost a year that the 100-year-old structure was at “extreme” risk of collapse before it shut it down abruptly one evening, giving diners at its function centres just 15 minutes to finish their meals.

Documents obtained by The Age from Federal Court proceedings show Development Victoria knew 10 months before the shutdown on August 28, 2019, that the pier risked “catastrophic failure”, but delayed acting in an apparent attempt to avoid spending tens of millions of dollars on repairs and compensation payments to businesses.

The closure of the pier sparked the evacuation of hundreds of people, shutting down a string of hospitality and tourism businesses including major tenant Atlantic Group, which employed more than 1300 staff at its stable of restaurant and bar venues.

Development Victoria spokesman Geoff Ward said at the time: “Engineers have advised Development Victoria today that they have assessed Central Pier as being unsafe for use, requiring immediate closure”.

The Federal Court documents are part of a statement of claim filed by the businesses who are now suing Development Victoria. The agency says they do not represent an agreed chronology, are not complete, and concern matters that are in dispute.

The records show Development Victoria had been warned as early as 2011 that the pier was considered a “high” risk. The cost to keep it operational to 2026 was estimated to be at least $25 million.

Click here for the full interview

Central Pier staff sacked before Christmas as uncertainty clouds Docklands precinct’s future

Posted on 18/12/2019 - 1:04 pm by

More than 100 people who work at Central Pier in Melbourne’s Docklands have lost their jobs on the eve of Christmas, as businesses grapple with an uncertain future.

The century-old pier was abruptly shut down 15 weeks ago by the State Government, after it was deemed structurally unsound by Development Victoria.

Business owners said they had been left in the dark and had been forced to lay off hundreds of staff, at what is normally the busiest time of the year.

Before it was closed in August, 1,300 people worked at the pier.

Since then the workforce has been halved, with many of the laid-off workers being casual staff.

Atlantic Group chief executive Hatem Saleh made the tough decision to let 22 full-time staff go last week.

“It’s heartbreaking. Some of these people are family and some have relied on this business for over a decade,” he said.

“To be put in the position where we’ve had to let these people go just before Christmas, with no assistance or understanding as to why, has been frustrating.”

On a warm December day the pier would usually host around 3,000 people, at back-to-back events, with businesses throwing parties to mark the end of another year.

But on Tuesday no-one was there.

Development Victoria warned the site would remain closed until at least January 6, when it would make a decision about the pier’s future, leaving businesses in financial uncertainty.

Restaurants and bars were abruptly evacuated four months ago after the base of the pier was found to be deteriorating rapidly.

The Atlantic Group alone had to cancel or relocate more than 700 events.

Businesses ‘none the wiser’ about what happened

Eight business owners on the pier are suing Development Victoria for $100 million, over claims it breached its responsibility to maintain the safety of the pier.

So far, it has taken Development Victoria four months to assess the damage — and it is yet to begin repairs.

That is despite more than $5 million being spent to make the pier stable before it closed.

Mr Saleh said the losses to businesses had now exceed $15 million and he was waiting with “bated breath” for January 6.

“We’re none the wiser as to how and why this happened,” he said.

“Every business was blindsided by what took place and we’ve sat patiently waiting for some support.”

Mr Saleh said he had put in several formal requests for support to Development Victoria.

Jeff Gordon owns and operates the Lady Cutler showboat cruise out of Central Pier.

He said he was worried he might have to shut up shop for good and was worried about “a quiet death” for the Docklands precinct.

“I’ve been here for 14 years and the future is pretty bleak at the moment,” he said.

“I’m seriously considering it [closing] … January, February and March aren’t looking good.”

Pressure mounts on State Government to find solution

Reason Party MP Fiona Patten said the issue had been poorly managed by Development Victoria.

“Hundreds of people are out of work just before Christmas and there appears to be a complete lack of empathy by the government landlord,” she said.

“You have to think if this was someone like Westfield and their buildings were closed for safety reasons before Christmas, their tenants would be looked after so that their businesses survived and staff remain employed.”

Ms Patten said even if the pier was to open next year it was questionable as to whether businesses would be able to “build back up again”.

The Andrews Government referred questions about Central Pier to Development Victoria.

Development Victoria’s Geoff Ward said the decision to close the pier had been made “on the basis of specialist advice that the structure was unsafe and a danger to workers and patrons”.

“Preserving public safety remains the prime consideration in the review process that has included a comprehensive investigation carried out by our engineering consultant,” Mr Ward said in a statement.

Shadow Minister for Priority Precincts David Davis accused Development Victoria of being secretive by refusing to release an engineer’s report which was completed months ago.

“The Andrews Government is covering up their incompetence, refusing to release the secret KBR engineer’s report and blocking the release of potentially damaging board minutes of their failed agency,” he said.

“These jobs are going because of their incompetence and small businesses are on their knees through no fault of their own.”