Paynesville - Slip Road Maritime Precinct

The upgrade of Paynesville's Slip Road Maritime Precinct originated from Council’s adoption of the Paynesville Maritime Precinct Masterplan and has been undertaken to bring significant benefits to the local economy and enhance Paynesville as a year-round destination for visitors, residents, and businesses alike.

Construction commenced in January 2022 with Carter Marine Group starting onsite piling works and offsite fabrication of precast elements for the services jetty. Works were later delayed due to a review of the project’s detailed design following the discovery of unforeseen lakebed conditions.

Carter Marine Group temporarily demobilised from the project site to work on another project in the Lakes Entrance area, and Council engaged an independent contractor to carry out further offshore geotechnical works which were used to update and improve the detailed design.

The new design will ensure the upgrade of the Slip Road Maritime Precinct is structurally secure and better caters to surrounding marine businesses and overflow tourism activities. These improvements are designed to have a lifespan of around 50 years.

Carter Marine was awarded a varied contract for construction of the seawall, jetties and boardwalk. A tender for construction of the carpark and landscaping will be advertised later this year following the finalisation of the marine based work by Carter Marine.

Once remobilised, Carter Marine Group construct the seawalls, services, jetty, and ramp. We appreciate Carter Marine’s cooperation and understanding throughout this process.

The planning and design of the carpark construction is progressing. A Project Reference Group (PRG) will guide this stage of the project and inform the development of the detailed design.

Both the Victorian and Federal governments have recognised the significance of this project by providing significant funding, and we acknowledge their understanding and support for this re-design work.

Objective and Scope

Revitalisation of the Slip Road Maritime Precinct will include -

  • construction of new seawall and jetties
  • new boat ramp
  • Carparking upgrade
  • boardwalks
  • pathways
  • landscaping and art installation
  • amenity block upgrade (complete)

Funding

This project has attracted significant investment, with the Australian Government, Victorian Government, and East Gippsland Shire Council all providing grant funding.

The upgrade of Paynesville's Slip Road Maritime Precinct originated from Council’s adoption of the Paynesville Maritime Precinct Masterplan and has been undertaken to bring significant benefits to the local economy and enhance Paynesville as a year-round destination for visitors, residents, and businesses alike.

Construction commenced in January 2022 with Carter Marine Group starting onsite piling works and offsite fabrication of precast elements for the services jetty. Works were later delayed due to a review of the project’s detailed design following the discovery of unforeseen lakebed conditions.

Carter Marine Group temporarily demobilised from the project site to work on another project in the Lakes Entrance area, and Council engaged an independent contractor to carry out further offshore geotechnical works which were used to update and improve the detailed design.

The new design will ensure the upgrade of the Slip Road Maritime Precinct is structurally secure and better caters to surrounding marine businesses and overflow tourism activities. These improvements are designed to have a lifespan of around 50 years.

Carter Marine was awarded a varied contract for construction of the seawall, jetties and boardwalk. A tender for construction of the carpark and landscaping will be advertised later this year following the finalisation of the marine based work by Carter Marine.

Once remobilised, Carter Marine Group construct the seawalls, services, jetty, and ramp. We appreciate Carter Marine’s cooperation and understanding throughout this process.

The planning and design of the carpark construction is progressing. A Project Reference Group (PRG) will guide this stage of the project and inform the development of the detailed design.

Both the Victorian and Federal governments have recognised the significance of this project by providing significant funding, and we acknowledge their understanding and support for this re-design work.

Objective and Scope

Revitalisation of the Slip Road Maritime Precinct will include -

  • construction of new seawall and jetties
  • new boat ramp
  • Carparking upgrade
  • boardwalks
  • pathways
  • landscaping and art installation
  • amenity block upgrade (complete)

Funding

This project has attracted significant investment, with the Australian Government, Victorian Government, and East Gippsland Shire Council all providing grant funding.

  • 📅 July 2025

    MEDIA RELEASE

    Paynesville’s Slip Road Maritime Precinct is taking shape, with East Gippsland Shire Council confirming the next phase of construction to improve car parking and drainage at the site.

    The Slip Road Maritime Precinct project was initiated in response to strong demand for additional berthing in Paynesville and across the Gippsland Lakes – one of Australia’s premier boating destinations. While the precinct supports recreational users, it also plays a critical role in servicing the local marine industry, a key economic driver for East Gippsland.

    Visitors to the precinct can already see progress underway, including a concrete panel seawall that now protects the foreshore and sets the footprint for the new facilities.

    At its meeting on Tuesday night, Council approved a variation to the existing construction contract with Carter Marine Group. This variation enables the delivery of critical works, including the redesigned car park, kerb and channel, underground drainage, infrastructure, pathways and service connections.

    These upgrades follow extensive engineering advice and geotechnical investigations, ensuring the new infrastructure is built to withstand coastal conditions and reduce the impact of flooding.

    read more...

  • 📅 May 2025

    Things are moving along well, and we’re hitting some great milestones.

    • Northern seawall panels: Pre-fabrication is approx. 75% complete, a major step forward in strengthening our coastal resilience.
    • Service jetty: Pile driving is around 70% complete, with beams and deck prefabrication underway.
    • Floating pontoon jetties: Design and general layout were endorsed by the CFA, and pre-fabrication commenced.
    • We've completed 120m of Boardwalk and only have around 30m to go!


    We appreciate the community’s continued support and patience as we work to deliver a safer, more accessible, and future-ready waterfront.

  • 9 December 2024


    The front section of southern seawall is now complete.

  • 14 November 2024

    We are pleased to report significant progress on the maritime precinct upgrade:

    • Southern Slip Road Seawall: Installation of concrete panels has now commenced for the southern section of the seawall.
    • Northern Slip Road Seawall: Pile driving activities will continue over the coming months for the northern section. Following completion of this work, concrete panels will be installed.
    • Floating Pontoons: The design phase for the floating pontoons is nearing completion, and we anticipate offsite prefabrication starting in February 2025.
    • Boat Ramp & Service Jetty: Construction is scheduled to begin in March 2025.

    We will continue to monitor progress and provide updates as Carter Marine progresses work on these key components.


    We welcome your continued interest in this project. Please feel free to share this update with your local network and choose to follow this project on YourSay to receive important information regarding this project directly to your inbox.

  • 16 September 2024

    Further updates will be provided on YourSay following the Council Election on 26 October 2024, and the questions/feedback tab will be reinstated.

    From 12.00 noon Tuesday 17 September until 6.00 pm on Saturday 26 October (Election Day) we will be in the Local Government Election Period (also known as Caretaker Period).

    During this time, we will limit our printed communications, website content, social media activity, and community consultations. The ability for people to comment on our social media content will also be disabled during the Election Period.

    Each of these steps is to ensure our content does not affect voting in the election and is consistent with steps taken by other Victorian Councils and the Local Government Act 2020.

    These changes are only temporary; we'll be back to normal communication activity after the election.

  • 12 September 2024

    • Using the barge, piles are installed ready for splicing/welding.
    • A third-party contractor is conducting tests on the driven piles to ensure they have reached the necessary refusal strength. This process allows us to quickly evaluate key factors such as the pile’s load-bearing capacity, the stress on the steel, the overall integrity of the pile, and the effectiveness of the pile driving process.
    • Once the piles have successfully passed these tests, we will move forward with installing the seawall panels.
    • Carter Marine are anticipated to complete the seawall, jetties, and all associated works by December 2025.


    The carpark design is in the concept stage and will progress to the preliminary stage over the coming month. The preliminary design will be made available on YourSay following the Council Election period.


  • 14 August 2024

    Carter Marine is progressing well.

    The pile driving is well underway and is anticipated to continue over the coming months.

    Coming up.... carpark design.

    A consultant has been engaged to design the upgrade of the carpark, enhancing usability for all while protecting the natural environment of the precinct. The consultant will undertake investigations in the carpark area, which are scheduled to commence in the coming weeks. Outcomes of the investigations will provide insight on the existing pavement conditions within the proposed carpark location and inform the development of the carpark concept design.

    A project reference group (PRG) will help progress the development of the carpark concept design; successful PRG applicants will soon be notified by our Project Engineer.

    Assembled on a voluntary basis, the PRG includes representation of Slip Road businesses and regular users of the area. The PRG members will support and co-operate with all parties and inform the consultant of their needs and use of the area.

    The first PRG meeting will be scheduled to occur after the 2024 council caretaker period (17 September 2024 to 26 October 2024) and all pavement investigations have been completed.



    Additional photos are available in the photos tab: Slip Road Maritime Precinct - Photos

    Further project updates will be provided following the 2024 council caretaker period (17 September 2024 to 26 October 2024). In the meantime, we encourage your continued interest in this project and other projects available on YourSay. Please choose to follow projects on YourSay to receive important information directly to your inbox.

  • 17 July 2024

    Despite the poor weather, works at Slip Road continue to progress. Our contractor, Carter Marine have completed fabrication of the concrete seawall panels and are now in the process of driving extra piles to increase the horizontal stability of the seawall.


  • 28 May 2024

    Representatives from our funding partners, the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry, and Regions, visited the site on Friday 24 May 2024 to check on the progress.


    Our officers shared insights on the design and layout, giving them a firsthand look at the project. They saw several of the 57 new seawall panels already poured, galvanised piles ready for installation, and the general layout of the site.


    We're pleased to have their continued interest and support in this shared project. A big thank you to our contractor, Carter Marine Group, for their hard work and dedication in bringing the Slip Road Maritime Precinct project to life - their expertise and commitment has been invaluable in making this project a success.


    The next steps -

    • Panels to be installed between piles to form seawall
    • Backfill behind seawall in preparation for new carpark
    • Prefabrication of pontoons and service jetty to happen offsite

    PHOTO [from left to right]: Renee Wicks – Manager Infrastructure Projects East Gippsland Shire Council; Shayna Millar - Visitor Economy Project Delivery Coordinator - Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions; Sean Heinemann – Project Supervisor East Gippsland Shire Council; Katrina Cranwell - Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions; Nick George – Carter Marine Group – Principal Contractor; Johan Janse Van Rensburg – Project Engineer East Gippsland Shire Council.


  • 14 May 2024

    Carter Marine are onsite.

    Several of the 57 concrete seawall panels have already been poured.

    All galvanised piles are now onsite and are ready to be driven in the coming weeks.


Page last updated: 28 Jul 2025, 12:17 PM