Jetty receives $320,000 cash splash

THE Clifton Springs jetty will undergo a $320,000 upgrade and double in length.

The 35-metre extension will include a light at the end of the platform, hand rails and rod holders along its length, and is expected to be complete by mid- October 2018 – in time for the warmer weather and the Christmas holidays.

Premier Daniel Andrews and Bellarine MP Lisa Neville announced the Labor Government upgrade on Friday, during a visit to the Bellarine.

“Whether you’re a local in Clifton Springs or a keen angler from further afield, the extension to the fishing platform will get more people fishing and help support the local economy — and that means jobs,” Mr Andrews said.

“Through our Target One Million plan, we’re growing recreational fishing and giving families better opportunities to spend quality time together outdoors.”

The existing 35-metre Clifton Springs fishing platform was a Labor election commitment in 2014, following a strong community campaign after the previous wooden piers fell into disrepair and started to fall down.

The Labor Government provided $250,000 to build the existing platform, which opened last year.

“This second stage of the jetty is a great win for the community,” Ms Neville said.

“We have one of the highest rates of recreational fishing in the state and this will help grow that even further.”

The project complements the Labor Government’s Target One Million flagship plan to end commercial net fishing in nearby Corio Bay, which was achieved in April, and to end all commercial net fishing in Port Phillip Bay by 2022.