CENTRAL PIER TENANTS TO SUE

TENANTS of Melbourne’s beleaguered Central Pier have launched legal action in the Federal Court against landlord Development Victoria over the closure of the precinct earlier this year (BEN 17 Sep).

The suit claims Development Victoria knew when it signed the lease in mid-2015 the Pier was deteriorating “at an increasing rate, despite the repair works it was carrying out.”

It also claims Development Victoria led tenants to believe the repairs being undertaken would mean they could continue to do business until the end of their lease in 2026, a claim which they assert was “misleading and deceptive”.

In Sep, Development Victoria announced Central Pier would remain closed until Jan.

Business Events News contacted Development Victoria for comment, with a spokesperson saying, “Development Victoria has acted in good faith and in accordance with the terms of the Central Pier lease.

“Any legal action will be defended.”

Upon the pier’s abrupt closure, stakeholders from events spaces such as MAIA, Peninsula, Sketch and Suma were left in limbo, as were 1,300 staff members employed in the area.

“Engineers have advised that it will take approximately 15 weeks to undertake a detailed assessment of Central Pier,” Development Victoria said.

“The extent of the work and the time required...will only be known once a detailed assessment has been complete.”

Pictured: Melbourne’s skyline at night.