Community continues fight to save Newhaven Jetty
THE BASS Coast community remains steadfast in its efforts to save the Newhaven Jetty, despite a lack of constructive action or transparency from Government according to the Nationals’ Member for Eastern Victoria, Melina Bath. “The Newhaven Jetty...
THE BASS Coast community remains steadfast in its efforts to save the Newhaven Jetty, despite a lack of constructive action or transparency from Government according to the Nationals’ Member for Eastern Victoria, Melina Bath.
“The Newhaven Jetty is a crucial community asset, and locals are determined not to allow it to rot due to state government inaction,” says Melina Bath.
“The Bass Coast community deserves more than lip service from Labor.
“The sudden closure of the Newhaven Jetty demands real answers.”
Ms Bath said if Labor wanted to understand the importance of land-based fishing in Newhaven it needed only to look to the Newhaven boat ramp that has been brimming with land-based fishers over the school holidays.
“Residents who rely on the jetty socially and economically deserve to know why it was closed and the state government’s plan for its restoration and reopening.”
Ms Bath criticised the government’s handling of the Newhaven Jetty closure highlighting the Government’s penchant for secrecy.
“Critical questions about the jetty’s condition, engineering assessments and funding priorities remain unanswered.”
Recent findings from a survey by Victorian recreational fisher’s advocacy group VRFish found seventy per cent of recreational fishers participate in land-based fishing highlighting the importance of safe and accessible piers and jetties.
The VRFish advocacy priorities survey received a record-breaking response from nearly 5000 recreational fishers.
Melina Bath claims Parks Victoria’s only stakeholder meeting to date regarding the Newhaven jetty occurred after Ms Bath took the Allan Labor Government to task in State Parliament for kicking the tin down the road.
To support the Bass Coast community Ms Bath has initiated a Freedom of Information request to uncover the truth about the Newhaven Jetty closure.
A petition which Melina Bath will table in parliament later this year is also gathering momentum.
“Bass Coast residents deserve transparency,” says Ms Bath.
“They need to see the engineering assessments and understand if the government neglected its duty to maintain this vital structure.”
“Concrete answers, funding and a timeline must be committed to repair and reopen the jetty.”
