Welshpool Underwater Viewing

Underwater Viewing Facility

We have received a Community Enterprise Start Up Grant for a feasibility study from for a Under Water Viewing Platform to be installed at the Long Jetty, this would be a Major step for this area and indeed South Gippsland. This Viewing Platform would be along similar lines to one already in operation at Busselton in W.A. A Consultant has been employed to complete a feasibility study and will consult with the Busselton Committee for direction on the processes necessary for construction. This project is a major project and would need a very large sum of money to be able to progress, but the benefits to this region would be immense.

To view the Viewing Platform at Busselton go to Link http://www.busseltonjetty.com.au

PORT WELSHPOOL LONG JETTY

We are all aware by now of the fire that has damaged the Long Jetty at Port Welshpool.
Because of the closure of the Jetty, deterioration was inevitable. The loss of the copper piping and then the fire were a blow to the structure and its future.
Ports staff, the local CFA members, the coastguard crews and local DSE members did a great job in containing and finally extinguishing the fire. Due to continued trespassing, Gippsland Ports have directed that parts of the top structure be removed to prevent access to the jetty.
Continued trespassing, in our view, shows that the pier is an important piece of infrastructure for locals and visitors alike.
The Port Welshpool Working Group and the Welshpool & District Advisory Group will continue lobbying to have the Jetty restored and reopened. Our project to build an Underwater Observatory at the end of the Pier is still a viable option despite the damage caused by the fire.
We will continue to work closely with the Shire of South Gippsland, DSE and Ports to put this option forward as a beneficial option for the Jetty use.
As a community member your support to see this project develop is import to us. We have done surveys and petitions to parliament but have found the best form of support is in a personal letter from members of the community. If you would like to express your opinion, letters can be sent to the Department of Sustainability and Environment. The local address is:
71 Hotham Street,
Traralgon Vic 3844

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Town pier pressure may give drawcard new life
DARREN GRAY
May 15, 2010
The Age
FOR RESIDENTS of Port Welshpool on the South Gippsland coast, it's a particularly maritime seven-year itch. Seven years ago their much-loved historic timber jetty was closed due to damage by fire, denting the town's history and robbing it of its number one tourist drawcard. (Cont.)>

Three months later another fire destroyed another coastal landmark, the St Kilda pier kiosk. Within hours, the premier of the day, Steve Bracks, had inspected the damage and pledged the kiosk would be rebuilt. It reopened in March 2006, less than 2½ years after the fire at a reported cost of $2.75 million.
But 200 kilometres along the coast to the east the picture is vastly different. Despite seven years of lobbying by locals the only visible developments at the Port Welshpool Long Jetty are signs warning people not to use it and fences to stop them.
But now, signs are emerging that the decision-makers could be listening. The Department of Sustainability and Environment has recently called for registrations of interest for restoration.
Jeanette Harding, a resident of nearby Toora, said restoration of the jetty, which stretches in a curve more than 900 metres into Corner Inlet, was ''vitally important''. A South Gippsland Shire councillor, she has enjoyed the jetty all her life. As a child she walked on it during Sunday school picnics, school excursions and family visits. It is where she caught her first fish. ''I'd like to see the Long Jetty restored,'' she said. ''It's got to happen and the politicians must realise this.''
Kerry Pinzone, chairwoman of the Long Jetty steering group, said locals wanted an underwater observatory built at the end of the jetty to put the inlet's abundant sea life on display. ''It'd be only one of four in the world - a real showpiece. We're in a sheltered inlet here, we could even do night viewing,'' she said.
Nationals leader Peter Ryan said the jetty's restoration should be included in the state government's regional blueprint. ''This facility offers much for the future of the region, both from a recreational and tourism perspective,'' he said.
The DSE's Peter Watkinson said any proposal that would secure the jetty's future ''will be given serious consideration.''

The Underwater Viewing Platform Feasibility Study Final Draft
This may take a few minutes to download

Marine and Civil send two top Representatives from W.A to view the Long Jetty in Port Welshpool
( Marine & Civil is the Marine Engineering Company)

On Friday 26th , Kay Giles, Managing Director and John Neylon the Director/Engineer came to inspect the Port Welshpool Long Jetty after positive feed back from one of the company Engineers Alan Zorotovic. Marine & Civil are the company that built the Busselton Underwater Observatory & also specialize in Jetty restoration . Along with Member for Gippsland Sth Peter Ryan , Gippsland Ports ChiefExecutive Officer Nick Murray, two Councillors representatives from the Sth Gippsland Council and members of the Port Welshpool Advisory Group & The Welshpool & District Advisory Group who welcomed them to Welshpool and joined them for a walk along the Jetty to inspect the structure, it was a good chance for locals who had never been on the Long Jetty before to walk carefully along it as it is in need of deperate repair, it certainly isn't safe for the public at the moment.

Mr Neylon described the Long Jetty as an impressive structure, a much better structure than the one they had worked on in Busselton. With the Port Welshpool Jetty, most the damage was superficial and to restore the Long Jetty& build the Underwater Observatory was a relatively easy task. The Jetty at Port Welshpool restoration work would be a lot cheaper than in Busselton as it doesn't have the problems they experienced there, apart from Busselton's Jetty being in a worse condition, it is in a cyclone area & open seas of the Indian Ocean,which is an extra cost we don't have at Pt. Welshpool.. Ms Giles also stated that the sooner the Jetty is restored the cheaper it would be as it will deteriorate even more over time & it would be just as expensive to pull down as it will be to do up.

On Thursday 28th August at the request of consultants from the Timber Industry, a meeting was held at the Welshpool RTC by all Community stakeholders of the Port Welshpool Long Jetty to discuss its potential Restoration under Commonwealth employment funding initiative. Tim Woods, consultant of Fitzpatrick Woods Consulting said the Timber Industry was supportive of projects working with communities on wooden structures such as trestle bridges and Jetties, in this case the Port Welshpool Long Jetty.

The potential economic and employment value of the Jetty was discussed along with options for future uses, such as the Under Water Viewing Facility and as a mooring for commercial vessels.

Several options for the restoration and ongoing maintenance were raised. The consultants undertook to explore these options thoroughly. A draft of their proposal will be presented back to the community for comment.

Welshpool & District Advisory Group are happy to announce that funding for the Underwater Observatory Business Plan has been granted by the Department of Community Planning so the next stage can go ahead.

More updates as they unfold.

More News on the Restoration of the Pt. Welshpool Long Jetty & Construction of an
Underwater Observatory.
With the Long Jetty at the moment being a stumbling block in the proposal of the Under Water Observatory. It was great news the week of the 7th December when a presentation was made to Council & Councilors for support of the restoration of the Long Jetty & Under Water Observatory. The Mayor said that Council would provide whatever assistance it could, including encouraging D.S.E in an Expression of Interest. In answer to a question from the Mayor Cr. Jim Fawcett, Mr Paul MacPhail (President of WDAG) explained that support was required for the entire package, the restoration of the Long Jetty and the Under Water Observatory.
The Welshpool & District Advisory Group has received funding from the Department of Planning & Community Development for the Feasibility Study, which is available on this website, and the development of a business Plan. The Business Plan should be ready very early in 2010.
Mr. McDonald who prepared the feasibility study said the Under Water Observatory would be great for tourism & provide much needed local employment in the area. In summarizing Mr. McDonald said the key to the success of these projects was how many tourists it can cater for each day, with coaches able to drive to its doors and proximity to major tourist destinations i.e. Phillip Island & Wilson’s Promontory this project could expect approx 800 visitors per day. With Port Welshpool having reliable clear water due to its 2.5m tidal changes a day the Observatory could be opened at night as well as the day & give 12 or more hours of operating time. Through the income from visitors to the Observatory, it would then be possible to pay for the ongoing upkeep of the Long Jetty.
The Observatory will be about 14 metres tall, circular and nine metres in diameter, have at least 3 levels of viewing windows including a window featuring a jetty pylon specially placed which has decades of growth of coral and fish life. The top level contains the tidal levels, while the middle and lower level will capture all the sea creatures that live at and travel through the different depths under and around the observatory.
More than $2 Million would be needed to restore the Long Jetty to a point where it could take pedestrian traffic and emergency vehicles. Negotiations are currently underway for funding from the Federal Government jobs program. The grant is part of the Federal Government’s $650 million Jobs fund to support and create skills development & jobs with projects that build community infrastructure in local communities.
The idea of the Under water Observatory came from Busselton in W.A where it has added millions of dollars to the local community. It was built by West Australian based contractors Marine & Civil who are also interested in building the Observatory in Pt. Welshpool with a “Boot” agreement which is to build, own and operate the Under Water Observatory and then transfer ownership to the community.