Slipway Now Open!

The Slipway Collective have taken possession of the site and commenced trading, with multiple businesses now serving delicious foods and drinks, and selling locally made items.

The Lakes Entrance Slipway is the perfect place to grab some amazing food and sit on the beautiful new deck and enjoy the water views.

CLICK HERE to view what is on offer at the Slipway.

The Old Slipway at Lakes Entrance is finished, and the Slipway Collective has its permits to start setting up.

We are excited to advise the works at the old Slipway at Lakes Entrance are finished and the Slipway Collective has its permits to start setting up the pop-up dining precinct in time to operate over the busy summer season.

The Slipway Collective is a partnership of local businesses who were the successful applicant of an open expression of interest in 2018 to manage and activate this unique foreshore site on the Lakes Entrance waterfront. The use of the site was envisaged to be a mix of commercial and public space to encourage use of the site both commercially and by the public.

Completion of this project has provided a versatile outdoor market and events area with funky shipping container stores and food outlets, and the refurbished winch sheds will soon become a hub for local artistic endeavour.

This redevelopment has reinvigorated a key piece of infrastructure and delivered a public asset for the entire East Gippsland community; Lakes Entrance is an iconic destination with a ‘pull through’ impact on other towns enroute to Lakes Entrance and attracts over 500,000 visitors annually with approximately 30% of the local economy linked to and reliant on tourism.

The pop-up nature of future activities on the site will create many opportunities for longer-term and sustainable community and enterprise jobs and initiatives that link the region to its proud history and resilience after diversity. This resilience and determination will strengthen our region’s ability to deal with and rise above future challenges.

Other parts of the site will also be available for broader hire and use for special events and will be open to the public when not being used for a special event.

Council is proud to deliver this project for the East Gippsland community within budget and in time to accommodate the busy tourist season.

In conjunction with our funding partners, the Slipway Collective, and LEADA we will hold a celebration in early 2024 to officially open the site.

Funding for this project was provided by the Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications and the Arts - Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program Phase 3; Victorian Government Local Economic Recovery (LER) Program – Bushfire Recovery Regional Economic Stimulus and Resilience Grants Fund, Creative Victoria, and COVID Safe Outdoor Activation Fund; and East Gippsland Shire Council.

We ask skaters not to ride on the deck.

Float.Slipway

This morning we handed over the shed keys to the Slipway Collective.

The sheds will be utilised as an inviting art space and gallery, creating a unique destination for promoting local artists and providing a platform for creative expression and supporting the growth of the Lakes Entrance arts scene.

The civil works, including drainage and concreting the food van area are now complete.

The site is almost ready to open to the public and is looking a treat. We have received our necessary approvals to open the site to the public and we are currently working closely with local community groups for the site to be actively used over summer.

There is still some balustrade works around the decking area to be completed. We are also finalising the painting and will be replacing a roller door; but these works can be undertaken once the site is open and won't delay opening the site.

Works at the Lakes Entrance Slipway are progressing well.

The works include the construction of a lower-level platform with fibreglass micromesh decking, as well as tiered decking constructed with spotted gum timber. Balustrading is being erected around the perimeter and around each deck.

4.1 lineal kilometres of timber decking has been installed, fixed with approximately 21,000 screws!

Other works completed to date include construction of lighting footings and the refurbishment of the existing winch sheds. Asphalting is scheduled for commencement in a couple of weeks, with landscaping to follow.

This project is at currently at 80% completion, and we anticipate being finished within a couple of months.

Council is proud to deliver this project for the East Gippsland community within budget. The completed project will provide a versatile outdoor market and events area, and the refurbished winch sheds will become places of local artistic endeavour.

Screw pile installation and survey setout are complete. Council's building crew will complete the concreting works required before structural steel installation can begin.

Structural steel delivery has been pushed out until February/March 2023 due to supply issues. Once the structural steel is installed Council's building crew will install decking and structural timber.

• Demolition of external concrete slabs is complete
• Survey setout will be carried out late November ahead of screw piling scheduled for December.
• Structural Steel fabrication is currently in progress offsite

Council is sourcing local materials to undertake the works for the Lakes Entrance Historical Slipway Project now that final design is complete. Services to compliment the vendor vans is also under design and should be completed by July 2022. These will allow power and water / sewer connections to vendor vans.