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Published on 14 August 2026
Thirteen standalone wooden piles sitting offshore at Flinders have become Western Port's own "Twelve Apostles", a visible reminder of a State Government restoration project, started but never finished. More than five years after Sir David Attenborough backed the campaign to save Flinders Pier and its iconic Weedy Seadragons, Mornington Peninsula Shire, community groups, local businesses and divers are renewing calls for the Victorian Government to finish the job, with the Shire's request for funding support still awaiting a response from Minister Melissa Horne. Mornington Peninsula Shire Mayor Stephen Batty will join community leaders, local businesses, divers and advocacy groups at Flinders Pier on Friday as part of Council's 2026 Victorian Election advocacy campaign, Shout Out for the Peninsula. A $1.53 million State-funded repair project at Flinders Pier revealed extensive previously unidentified structural deterioration, highlighting the need for further funds to fully restore the iconic pier. Mayor Batty said Flinders Pier represented an opportunity for the State Government to finish an important project during a period of significant fiscal constraint. "Victoria's finances are under pressure and we understand governments face difficult decisions. But this is a project that has already commenced and remains unfinished,” Cr Batty said. "The Flinders Pier is part of the Peninsula's identity. Completing the full restoration project, as committed and originally funded by the State Government in November 2025, will preserve a significant community asset and support local tourism." Two months ago, Council wrote to Minister for Ports and Freight Melissa Horne seeking funding support to complete restoration of the pier's inner timber section, stating that "the community expects the restoration project to be completed as originally planned". The request remains unanswered. Save Flinders Pier and the Flinders Community Association also ran a newspaper advertisement this week, adding further momentum to the community's call for action. Save Flinders Pier spokesperson Charles Reis OAM said the community had waited long enough for the State Government to honour its commitment. "More than 45,000 people supported the campaign to save Flinders Pier because they understood its heritage, environmental and community significance,” Mr Reis said. “The community was promised the pier would be restored, yet today we're left looking at 13 piles standing in the water and an incomplete project. “That's why locals, businesses, divers and visitors are continuing to stand together and call on the Government to finish what it started.” Mayor Batty said support for the project extended well beyond a single community campaign. "We're bringing people together because there is a shared belief that Flinders Pier is worth finishing. The remaining piles standing offshore are a daily reminder that the job is not yet done."
Image courtesy of Charles Reis OAM.