PLANS to rebuild a crumbling jetty at the Patterson Lakes Harbour Plaza seem to be dead in the water until Kingston Council and the state government can resolve differences over funding and maintenance of any new jetty.
Kingston Council says an offer to oversee management and maintenance of the site, privately owned by the Harbour Plaza Shopping Centre, was made to the state government last month and council has not been told $120,000 in state funding to build the jetty is no longer available.
Council CEO John Nevins said council was keen for a committee of management, including waterway managers Parks Victoria and Melbourne Water, to be formed before agreeing to pay about $10,000 of ratepayers’ money annually for any upkeep of the new jetty.
“As neither the jetty, the land nor the water are council assets, council was not responsible for establishing the committee or ensuring the Victorian government funding proceeded,” Mr Nevins said in a statement.
“As no further progress was made, in September 2016 Kingston Council offered to oversee the management and maintenance of the site.”
Carrum Labor MP Sonya Kilkenny has expressed disappointment that council did not agree to accept the state money before a February deadline since the funding had now lapsed but she would continue to push for a grant to build the jetty that will be able to be used by all boat owners (“Jetty sunk”, The News 26/10/16).
“I will continue to work with residents and traders to build the jetty,” Ms Kilkenny said.
“Hopefully, Kingston Council will work with the local community this time around.”
Mr Nevins said council “will apply for further funding opportunities as they become available”.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 2 November 2016