Port Phillip Bay’s new Altona Pier proves popular since opening

Reopened at the end of January after an eight month construction program, the pier at Victoria’s Altona Beach is proving a asset for the thriving bayside community.

Funded by an $11.9 million investment from the Victorian Government, the 310-metre-long pier has a modern, y-shaped design and is the perfect place to visit while walking with a morning coffee or to rewind after work and watch the sun set over the towers of the city.

The new pier provides ample space for people to enjoy, safer access for boating and fishing thanks to an accessible low landing and seats for rest or relaxation.

Opened for public access just before Christmas, a smoking ceremony and ribbon cutting on 22nd January officially inaugurated the new pier.

The original timber pier at Altona was built in the late 1800s and has been a significant part of the bayside suburb's history.

Over the years, significant repair works had been carried out but the structure reached the end of its design life. Maritime conditions and harsh weather can mean aging infrastructure deteriorates more rapidly, and the pier was badly damaged in storms in 2020 and 2021.

Community consultation and planning for a replacement started in 2020.

Feedback from locals and visitors to Altona helped select the design and key features, which included a timber deck.

Construction by contractors Simpson Construction started in May 2023 with onlookers able to see 137 steel piles were driven into the shallow seabed of Hobsons Bay.

Once these were in place, the 4.2-metre-wide timber deck was laid down, followed by hand rails, seating and lights.

The old pier has been removed and some of its timber used for the seats, ensuring the new pier pays tribute to the heritage and legacy of the old. Other timber is planned to live on as part of Hobsons Bay Council’s upcoming foreshore redevelopment, installed as public art or furniture.

As well offering fishing and boating access, the pier is an addition to Altona Beach, where hundreds of people come in the summer for sunbathing, beach volleyball, swimming and other activities.

The pier is also a great stopping place for bike rides along the Bay Trail to Point Cook. With the recently-opened extension from Sanctuary Lakes Boulevard to the Point Cook Coastal Park, it’s possible to ride from the Maribyrnong at Afton Street in Essendon to Point Cook without leaving a cycle path, and Altona’s cafes and stunning new pier make a great break in the journey.

Images: Aerial view of the new Altona Pier (top, credit: Simpson Construction), the new Pier in use (middle, credit: Parks Victoria) and the old Altona Pier has been removed with some of its timber reused for seating on the new pier (below, cedit: Parks Victoria).