29 January 2024:

First pic is Kerferd Road pier in summer 2017-2018. Unlike Brookes Jetty – which took 7 years of lobbying to get rebuilt, in very clunky concrete – the Kerferd Road pier was partly closed by Parks Victoria due to safety concerns in late 2017, but said they would restore it – then nothing happened for about a year until the State Government announced it would be repaired/rebuilt exactly as it was – in a pledge by local MP Martin Foley before the election in 2018. In the 2nd last pic you can see a colour difference of the new section (though is it the lighter part that’s new ?). Don’t know when it reopened, but all looks similarly weathered. This restoration is most likely because it was state level listed by Heritage Victoria, plus avoiding the fuss already going over Brooks, but I was nevertheless surprised because I know Parks Victoria would rather demolish an old pier, or just leave stumps, like central pier Docklands or Princes Pier (which was also heritage listed), or rebuild in concrete, saying it’ll last longer. The rebuilt pier here is supposed to last 25 years, isn’t that long enough ? The texture of all that weathered timber is delightful, and I hope the rough surface is ok for the differently abled. Pic 4 is the pilings before repair/replacement, they were getting thin. It was built in 1889 as just a pleasure pier when there was really just the huge Victoria Hotel nearby, so a great investment for the future. First, 4th and last pics from various FB pages.

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