Point Grey Redevelopment – Lorne

Current notice

To ensure public safety during this phase of construction, the builder will be restricting access to the site, with the pier and part of the Doug Stirling Track closed until late June 2026.

Project background and status 

We are delivering three highly anticipated Geelong City Deal funded projects along the Great Ocean Road.  This includes the Point Grey Redevelopment in Lorne. 

The Point Grey Redevelopment is one of our highest priorities, and we are keenly aware of the strong community support to see this project succeed.  

Community engagement for the project has now concluded, following extensive consultation that informed the design and planning stages.

Feedback helped shape the final vision for Point Grey, ensuring it reflects community values and celebrates the site’s maritime, cultural, and environmental significance. 

With planning and design nearing completion, construction works will begin in early 2026. 

Experienced Victorian construction company Bowden Corporation has been appointed to deliver the Point Grey redevelopment project.

Selected through a competitive tender process, Bowden Corporation brings a strong track record in delivery across the Great Ocean Road region and will support local jobs during construction, with offices in Geelong and Warrnambool and through the use of local sub-contractors.

The project is funded through the Geelong City Deal. 

Key project information

Redeveloping Point Grey will create a unique experience for local residents and visitors, which will benefit the local economy and the Lorne and Surf Coast Shire community.

The redevelopment will provide new and improved facilities onsite, including;

• a new Lorne Aquatic and Angling Club building 
• improved parking and public open space, walking paths and new facilities for visitors and fishing
• recognition of the site's cultural, maritime and timber history
• a new Co-Op that includes a hospitality offering and new, accessible public toilets

The new Co-Op

Will include a new hospitality offering an accessible public toilet within the footprint of the 1949 original structure.

Reflects the original Co-Op in its size, shape and roofline, and we will be reusing elements such as old bricks and metal work wherever possible.

In mid-October, we increased the size of the hospitality space and reduced the number of toilets following feedback from the community on the concepts released in September.

We are also working with the Lorne Historical Society to incorporate display spaces for their use. 

The venue will have amazing views out to the pier, plenty of seats inside and out, and be located next to new public open areas with additional seating.

The new Angling Club (LAAC)

The new Angling Club will be a brand-new space for members featuring an outdoor area and a public fish cleaning station.

Public spaces and history

The project will deliver improved public spaces, walkways , traffic flow and parking.

We've also begun work on an art and history strategy.

This will map out how to incorporate signage, interior and exterior display, sculptures and other design features that highlight the area's cultural, maritime, and timber history - including how to include the restored pier crane and a restored couta boat. 

We are working with members of the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation, the Lorne Historic Society, Friends of Lorne and local historians to develop this strategy.

If you would like to read through previous engagement materials or learn more about the engagement process, please visit the projects Have Your Say page: 

For general enquiries or to stay informed, contact: 

e: info@greatoceanroadauthority.vic.gov.au

p: 1300 736 533 

Bushfire Place of Last Resort - Temporary Closure 

To allow for construction works, the site will be temporarily closed to the public and unavailable as a Bushfire Place of Last Resort. 

This means that from one week prior to Point Grey becoming a construction site – expected to be in February 2026 - until the redevelopment is completed, the foreshore area along Mountjoy Parade will serve as Lorne’s sole Bushfire Place of Last Resort.

Council approval is required to commission and decommission a Bushfire Place of Last Resort.

Once the Point Grey redevelopment is completed, the site will be assessed for suitability before Surf Coast Shire Council can recommission the site.

More information here.

Construction and Project Updates

28 April 2026

Work is underway to salvage building materials from the old CoOp building and the art and history strategy for the Point Grey precinct is taking shape.  

All hazardous material, including a substantial amount of Class-A asbestos, has been safety removed from the structure. This was a complex task that required specialists to ensure worker and public safety. The result is a much safer precinct for the public. 

This week, crews will begin carefully salvage materials from the 1949 section of the structure for re-use in the new CoOp building, including bricks, steel framing, roof trusses, tiles , gantry beams and the tram tracks. The remainder of the structure will then be demolished and removed so the site is ready for construction of the new CoOp to begin. 

The new Co-Op will include a new hospitality offering and an accessible public toilet. It reflects the original Co-Op in its size, shape and roofline and includes display spaces for the Lorne Historical Society.

The precinct's art and history strategy is also near completion, shaped by a working group that includes representatives from the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation, the Lorne Historic Society, Friends of Lorne and local historians. 

The strategy outlines how the history of the precinct will be incorporated into the redevelopment, including interpretive signage and information hubs, artwork, seating and other landscape elements such as etched surfaces, plaques and engaging videos.

The strategy focuses on the precincts long shared history, including cultural, fishing and timber industries and will bring the area to life by telling the stories of the people who made it. 

19 March 2026

The Point Grey Pier and a section of the Doug Stirling Track in Lorne will temporarily close from Thursday 19 March as major works get underway across the precinct.

The closure, expected to remain in place until June 2026, is required to ensure public safety while construction crews carry out a series of upgrades and redevelopment works.

The project includes strengthening the existing revetment along the foreshore: the large rock structure that helps protect the precinct from coastal erosion and inundation. Locally sourced basalt, similar to what is already in place, will be repositioned and extended slightly to improve stability, reduce sand loss and enhance overall safety.

As part of the broader redevelopment, contractors will also begin pile driving to establish the foundations for the new Angling Club building. This phase will involve heavy machinery operating on site.

Construction of the new building will then progress, with concrete pumping, as well as steel and timber installation, marking the early stages of the structure taking shape.

Ahead of demolition works, crews will also undertake the careful removal of asbestos and other hazardous materials from the former Co-Op building. Materials suitable for reuse will be salvaged as part of the project.

Due to the nature of the works, including heavy machinery movement and the handling of hazardous materials, the pier will be closed to the public for the duration of the project.

Updates will be provided as works progress, including when the pier is ready to reopen

11 February 2026

The first phase of construction works will commence at Point Grey on Monday 16 February 2026.

Contractors will remove asbestos, salvage materials for re-use and complete demolition over 5 weeks. 

To ensure public safety during this work, the builder will be restricting access to the site, with the pier and part of the Doug Stirling Track closed at some times. 

Fences are up and there are CCTV cameras in place to keep everyone safe. 

Construction sites are dangerous workplaces. At Point Grey, there will be heavy machinery, excavation works, material storage, site sheds, and significant infrastructure installation happening simultaneously.

Victorian workplace safety laws require the builder to fence construction sites to protect both the public and workers. This is not optional - it is a legal requirement and a duty of care to the community and construction staff.