Lengthy pipi lockout period proposed for Venus Bay

POTENTIAL banning of pipi gathering at Venus Bay beaches from Melbourne Cup Day until Easter was discussed at Thursday evening’s meeting held at Venus Bay Community Centre.

That proposal was put forward in a letter signed by South Gippsland Shire Mayor Nathan Hersey and sent to Victoria’s Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos, highlighting safety concerns sparked by the pipi gathering behaviour of some.

Parked vehicles hindering Venus Bay beach access from the town’s surf lifesaving clubrooms, and the obstacle that holes dug by pipi collectors present for those driving club vehicles on the beach were discussed at Thursday’s meeting.

Venus Bay Surf Lifesaving Club secretary Richard Moore addressed those issues, linking into the meeting online.

Attendees and those watching the livestream heard from Cr Sarah Gilligan, a Venus Bay resident, who spoke passionately on the pipi issue and read out the council letter addressed to the Environment Minister.

That letter arose from Cr Gilligan’s suggestion of adopting a whole of council position on local community pipi concerns.

The letter is headed ‘Visitor safety and infrastructure capacity in Venus Bay during peak pipi harvesting periods’.

“On behalf of the South Gippsland Shire Council, the Venus Bay community, its residents and volunteer emergency services, I bring to your attention the unsustainable impact and risk to life attributed to this significant pipi tourism along the coast of Venus Bay,” the letter states.

It also notes Venus Bay’s one-road-in, one-road-out nature, extreme fire risk and the lack of a safe gathering place, and the fact the town is home to Victoria’s third most dangerous beach.

With burgeoning tourism numbers, considerably bolstered by pipi gathering, it is argued the issue is beyond what education can solve and that critical public health and safety infrastructure has not kept up with demand.

“If you’re going to have this magnet of allowing the pipi tourism, then you need to resource it and we don’t have the parking, the toilets; there are only three fisheries officers across the State,” Cr Gilligan said.

The council letter states that “Over the 2025/26 summer, emergency vehicles were blocked on the narrow beach tracks by unmanaged congestion and unsafe parking on roads that were never designed for such volume.”

“South Gippsland Shire Council supports tourism in our region; however, we must also support the Venus Bay community’s clear and reasonable request to advocate for a seasonal ban on pipi harvesting from Melbourne Cup Day until the conclusion of the Easter holidays each year, commencing this year.”

Opinions among those participating in Thursday’s meeting regarding the proposed ban period vary, with some agreeing with that timeframe, others saying it is too long, and another feeling pipi harvesting in Venus Bay should be banned year-round.

An attendee pointed out that she occasionally enjoys gathering and eating pipis as do other locals and that to ban the pastime for a lengthy period or entirely will hurt community members.

The differences of opinion on that matter and others related to pipi collection and its ramifications highlights the need for an organised approach to convey concerns and put forward desired actions.

The intention is to establish an action group comprising representatives of various local organisations, with people called on to put their names down to join.

While it was suggested at the meeting the action group might include representatives from the Venus Bay Surf Lifesaving Club, CERT (ambulance), CFA, SES and Men’s Shed, such involvement would depend on approval from the organisations concerned.

It’s also hoped, subject to approvals, to create a community reference group consisting of representatives of organisations such as Parks Victoria, Fisheries Victoria, DEECA, South Gippsland Shire Council and Victoria Police, with the two groups to engage on the pipi issue, associated concerns and how they might be addressed.