The Flinders Pier restoration is again under scrutiny after about 150 people gathered at the heritage-listed structure to call for the remaining timber section to be rebuilt.
Mornington Peninsula Shire Mayor Stephen Batty, Cr David Gill and Nepean MP Anthony Marsh joined community members, clubs and recreational groups at the rally on Friday, 14 August.
The Flinders Community Association and Save Flinders Pier campaign organised the event as part of a renewed push for further State Government funding.
Campaigners pointed to 13 standalone timber piles offshore as evidence that the restoration remains incomplete.
Why The Flinders Pier Restoration Was Reduced
The Victorian Government allocated $1.53 million in its 2022-23 State Budget for critical safety works at Flinders Pier.
In November 2025, the government announced that works would focus on repairing the inner timber section and lower landings, while strengthening the pier’s foundations.
The project included new piles, beams, crossheads, capping beams and decking. Work began in late 2025 and was expected to finish by the middle of 2026.
However, Parks Victoria later found that the timber crossheads, beams and piles were more deteriorated than an earlier inspection had indicated.
The authority determined that the affected section needed to be rebuilt rather than repaired, substantially increasing the project’s scope.
“Rebuilding the full length of the pier is not within the project’s scope and budget.”
Parks Victoria says it subsequently rebuilt part of the inner timber section and completed repairs to stabilise the inner lower landings.
The rebuilt portion has opened to the public, while the authority says the full 327-metre length of the main pier remains accessible.
As STPL News reported in June, Parks Victoria confirmed that the full timber section would not be rebuilt under the existing project.
Community Disputes Completed Restoration Claim
Mornington Peninsula Shire wrote to Ports and Freight Minister Melissa Horne in June seeking additional funding to complete the timber section.
When the Shire announced the August rally, it said it had not received a response from the Minister.
The Flinders Community Association subsequently reported that a response arrived following the rally.
According to the association, the Minister confirmed that the inner timber section had been rebuilt. However, campaigners dispute whether the completed work amounts to the restoration originally anticipated by the community.
“The works are welcome, but they are not the full restoration of the heritage wooden pier our community has been calling for.”
The association said about 150 people attended the rally before walking along the pier to view the remaining standalone piles.
Cr Batty said completing the restoration would preserve an important community asset and support local tourism.
“The Flinders Pier is part of the Peninsula’s identity.”
The Save Flinders Pier campaign has attracted close to 45,000 supporters since it began in 2021 in response to an earlier proposal to demolish part of the timber structure.
Natural historian Sir David Attenborough also supported the campaign due to the pier’s connection with the weedy seadragon and its surrounding marine habitat.
Heritage-Listed Pier Dates Back To The 1860s
The Heritage Council of Victoria added the Flinders Telegraph Cable Complex and Pier to the Victorian Heritage Register in October 2022.
The council found the site had state-level cultural heritage significance because of its connection with Victoria’s maritime and telecommunications history, its archaeological potential and its longstanding association with the community.
The pier dates back to the 1860s and remains popular with anglers, walkers, divers and snorkellers.
Mornington Peninsula Shire has now included the restoration in its Shout Out for the Peninsula advocacy campaign ahead of the 2026 Victorian election.
The Shire and community campaigners continue to seek funding to rebuild the remaining timber section. The State Government has not publicly announced additional funding for that work.
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