22/06/2026
The inner section of the Heritage listed Flinders Pier.
***Important Update***
PIER NEVER TO BE REBUILT, SAYS DEFIANT MINISTER
The inner section of the Heritage listed Flinders Pier, demolished earlier this year, will not be rebuilt, according to correspondence just received from the Minister for Ports, Melissa Horne.
In a letter to Save Flinders Pier organisers, the defiant Minister wrote:
“The expanded scope of the restoration means that it will not be possible to rebuild the full length of the inner timber section.”
The ‘expanded scope’ refers to the discovery that the historic timber pier was in worse condition than expected – mostly caused by aggressive termite activity reported by Parks Victoria in 2022.
The letter goes on to say that other minor works that were in progress such as the lower landings and balustrade would be completed, but that was all.
The advice from the Minister puts her on a collision course with Heritage Victoria which made a requirement to ‘re-build the inner section’ a condition of the permit to demolish the old structure. Heritage Victoria explicitly requires ‘like for like’ replacement. Earlier this year, Heritage Victoria raised with Parks Victoria its concerns about the shutdown of the Flinders Pier re-build, which were passed on to the Minister’s office at the time.
We have now referred the Minister’s most recent statement to Heritage Victoria and requested a further review. We have also quickly written to the Premier, Jacinta Allan, drawing her attention to the Minister’s potential contravention of Victoria’s Heritage Act.
The pier was within two months of completion when the Minister did a funding backflip and refused to release additional money for its completion, estimated to be around $2m. This was after she issued a media release last November claiming Flinders Pier was part of the Government’s $18m investment in the State’s historic piers and jetties.
In 2024, the Minister oversaw the construction of a new $12m pier in her own electorate. Minister Horne is also best remembered for her media release during a COVID lockdown in 2020 announcing the planned demolition of the Flinders Pier.
Our campaign to Save Flinders Pier continues.
