Bold plan for Central Pier as fate of the historic Docklands site is sealed

The historic Central Pier in Docklands is set to be demolished and there’s a push for an iconic new landmark to be built in its place.

Heritage Victoria has approved a permit sealing the fate of the derelict 100-year-old pier, which will be demolished next year. But, unusually, Heritage Victoria has not ticked off plans for a replacement for the structure.

Director of the Melbourne City Fishmarket and driver of a proposal for the site, Nick Tate, first told Neil Mitchell about his idea in August.

Press PLAY below to hear more about Nick’s vision for the Central Pier site

He’s calling for a fish-shaped structure housing a wet fish market with 40 or 50 hawker stands and a university campus for marine biology.

“It needs to be inclusive and accessible … Melbourne has such a great culinary sort of background as well, and we thought ‘Well there’s no fish market like Sydney’. Even though Sydney’s was rundown it was still pulling between four and five million visitors a year,” he told Jacqui Felgate and Jimmy Bartel, filling in for Ross and Russel.

“What better way to get a gravity point for people than put 30 or 40 hawker style eateries there around it?”

Image (above): Nick Tate’s vision for the pier

Image (at top): Google Maps