Tower left to decay

The 1960s tower has wooden platform and structures rotten through and missing, its paint worn off and is surrounded by military-style barbed wire fence as well as rubbish and weeds.

While it is surrounded by warning signs telling visitors not to use it, when The Advocate visited this week, the gate to the tower had been left wide open.

The tower’s state of disrepair follows a long history of dispute surrounding the tower. The top platform was permanently removed in 2010 due to antisocial behaviour.

More recently in 2013, Hepburn Shire Council sought to have the entire structure removed. The dive tower does not comply with current standards for diving in Australia as defined by Royal Life Saving and FINA, which is why it is surrounded by metal mesh fencing.

However, following widespread community backlash and a subsequent ruling by Heritage Victoria, the council was prohibited from removing the tower.

Creswick ward councillor Don Henderson said while he would love to see the tower fixed, the council was rendered immobile due to public liability – the tower couldn’t be pulled down and yet it was unsafe to dive from. There were also concerns about health risks from the lead paint that covered it.

Campaigner Ken Kronberger said the council was using “time and the elements” to remove the tower instead.

Mr Kronberger argued it was the council’s responsibility to protect and enhance the community’s heritage assets.

“St Kilda has Luna Park, Creswick has Calembeen Park. It’s a heritage place,” he said.

“It’s so iconic and it’s a real anomaly. It’s amazing this little town had this huge diving tower.”

He said the antisocial behaviour was not the tower’s fault, and the community wanted to see it restored to its former glory.

“It looks like a big pile of junk, but the junk is the council’s junk,” he said.