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