Letter to the Editor: What is happening to our Jetty?

DEAR News Of The Area,

WHAT is happening to our historic timber jetty?

In May 2020 Council sought $16-20m of government funds in order to carry out critical repairs, with Council later threatening to resign from its role as manager of the jetty if funds were not procured.

Residents are entitled to know how this has happened.

The answer is simple: successive Councils have failed miserably to maintain this structure.

Questions that Council needs to answer:

– When was the last time a complete underwater survey done to determine the state of:
a) The condition of those turpentine piles not replaced in the 1995-97 conservation of the jetty. Many of these piles would now be approaching the end of their life, and

b) The condition of the marine treated hardwood piles installed to replace those turp piles removed. Should there have been any defect in the chemical treatment of these piles then they may also need replacement. One has only to stand under the jetty at low tide to count at least four broken piles in the tidal zone as well as broken wales and cross braces. I wonder what is the condition of the structure in the deeper waters.

c) When was the last time that the fire service line was checked and tested to ensure that the hydrants were serviceable and not corroded?

d) When was the last ime that the decking was treated with a wood preservative and antifungal?

So what has been Council’s involvement with the jetty?

For that we need to go back into the recent history of the jetty.

The Jetty ceased commercial operations in 1997 and without its regular maintenance its condition deteriorated.

Over the following years the stevedores’ storerooms and crib hut were removed followed by the light tower, the two 40 tonne diesel electric cranes were dismantled and removed and finally the rail lines.

The Jetty had now become a tourist attraction but its condition continued to deteriorate and in the early 1990s it was closed to the public due to safety concerns primarily due to a large fire which burnt through the deck into the girders beneath.

Regards,
Jeff CLANCY,
Coffs Harbour.