Patrick Goldsmith, Yorke Peninsula Country Times
South Australians are emphatically urging the state government to take more responsibility for much-needed jetty maintenance, the Local Government Association’s recently released Value of Jetties report shows.
An LGA survey of more than 2400 people found 80 per cent believe the government should take financial responsibility for jetty maintenance.
People who visited jetties in the past year made around 44 return trips annually and spent anywhere between $26 and $50 during each visit, which contributes $103.25 million to the state economy each year.
There are 12 jetties owned by the state government and under 50 year leases within the Yorke Peninsula Council region, with council carrying a current annual expenditure of $200,000 for the structures.
About 89 per cent of piles in the Port Julia jetty, 85 per cent in Edithburgh jetty and 62 per cent in Ardrossan jetty are rated as having less than 25 per cent of life left.
The state government provided a $20m pool of funding for jetty maintenance across the state in last year’s budget; however, Edithburgh jetty’s repair alone has been estimated at $16m.
Mayor Darren Braund said funding currently being offered by the state government is conditional, requiring some councils to lock into leases for another 15-plus years.
“Essentially, some councils are being told ‘you can have some funding upfront, but only if you continue looking after these jetties long term’, which has the potential to be extremely costly in five or 10-years’ time,” he said.
“Unfortunately, many jetties around the state need significant upgrades and will only continue to worsen without appropriate attention — which smaller regional councils, in particular, can’t fund on their own.”
Mr Braund said Yorke Peninsula doesn’t have the ratepayer base to support this kind of project without funding from federal or state governments.
“Divers and snorkellers come from all over the state to swim at Edithburgh jetty and it would be devastating for communities if this vital coastal asset — and others like it — was left to fall by the wayside due to government inaction,” Mr Braund said.
“As the Value of Jetties report points out, jetties are worth investing in and we hope we can work with the state government on ways we can make this happen and secure their future for gen erations to come.”
Councils need to chip in
Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Tom Koutsantonis said it is refreshing to see the LGA advocating on issues which affect their councils and ratepayers.
However, he said it is a nonnegotiable that councils need to show a willingness to pay their share of upkeep.
“The LGA wrote to me in 2022 asking for the government to invest $10m in jetties across the state; instead, we committed to a $20m fund in the last state budget — and the LGA is still not happy,” he said.
“Nonetheless, I wholeheartedly agree with the LGA about the importance and value of jetties, which is why we committed this significant funding in the last state budget to help repair and restore those most in need.”
Mr Koutsantonis also said councils are not necessarily innocent in the course of action to date.
“Councils have been contractually obliged under long-term lease arrangements going back decades to maintain their jetties,” he said.
“While some councils, through no fault of their own, have been left to repair storm-damaged jetties, there are others which have taken these important community assets for granted, in some cases over an extended period of time.
“Because of their lack of investment, assets they have been entrusted to maintain have been allowed to deteriorate, and in some cases even close — and these councils now believe it is up to taxpayers to step in, while blaming the state government for their own failure to fulfil their obligations.”
Member for Narungga Fraser Ellis said action is needed to retain the community assets.
“There is little doubt that many coastal communities rely on their jetty to bring in the tourism dollars that keeps their town afloat,” Mr Ellis said.
“There is also little doubt that, if the state government doesn’t stump up for jetties then, at the conclusion of the council lease, they’ll have dilapidated assets returned which require even more investment to bring up to scratch.
“The government has done it before, at Whyalla, and therefore has the required corporate knowledge to do it again.”
This article appeared in Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 6 February 2024.
Related story: New data reveals why SA jetties are worth saving: LGASA
