Jurien Bay Jetty 

Background

In May 2003 after a storm caused extensive damage to the two old fishing jetties and caused them to be closed for safety reasons, a town meeting was held about the condition of the jetties. At the time the damage occured, the jetties were owned by a commercial fishing company. As the company was no longer operating, the jetties had become the responsibility of the State Government and concerns were raised about public liability issues. The meeting was extremely well attended with 300 community members resolving to save the jetties. A Steering Committee was established through fundraising and repair work achieved, one of the jetties was reopened for community and visitor use. 

In 2004, a community petition to save the jetties was conducted which 992 people responded to in the affirmative. Almost 500 of the respondents came from the local coastal communities and the remaining similar number were from all over Western Australia, Australia and overseas countries. This result demonstrated the high level insterest and support of the jetties by visitors to the community. 

In September 2004, the State Government recommended for the structures to be replaced instead of rebuilt, and instructed the community and Council that they would await instructions from them before taking any action. In October 2004, the "Save the Jetties" Committee determined that despite all the work that had been achieved, the clear conclusion was the existing structures had a very limited life. The meeting resolved to determine the long term plan for a new Jurien Bay jetty and to remove the existing structures. 

In June 2005, the Committee held a planning and focus development meeting at which a number of issues were raised, including that the State Government did not normally fund single-use, non-commercial, recreation jetties and that the Shire of Dandaragan did not have existing funds to complete the project either. After a poll to ratepayers from the Jurien Bay ward in May 2007, it was agreed that a special rate would be paid to raise funds for the new jetty construction. As history demonstrates, the project has originated from the community and is invested in directly by the community. 

About the Jetty 

The Jurien Bay community foreshore and jetty project is an iconic and large scale outdoor visitor and community facility. The foreshore and jetty project has redeveloped the foreshore and jetty area to create an experiential community and visitor experience. In terms of recreation, it has enhanced a whole range of activities in this area, inlcuding squid and shoreline fishing, Indian Ocean Festival each year, swimming, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, marine sports, diving, meditation, fireworks, hang-out space for young people, informal meeting place, walking and cycling trail, Australia Day breakfast, lookout to the islands, wildlife viewing, interpretation of the Jurien Bay Marine Park, and socialising in a well designed and well managed public space. 

The benefits of the project are extensive and far-reaching. On a local level the area has become a popular playground for adults and kids alike. Swimming, fishing, socialising and catching up with friends are a few of the activities taking place on a daily basis. The jetty has ladders down to the water and a floating pontoon just out from the shore. During the summer months this has been a hot spot to cool down. The BBQ's and picnic tables are a fantastic place to enjoy an afternoon lunch or watch the sunset while the kids explore the playground equipment located on the foreshore. 

The jetty building project was constructed for approximately $2.2m and is expected to return over $40m in economic impact. The jetty is helping to build a tourist destination and brand where the unique combination of offshore reefs, islands and sheltered lagoons makes Jurien Bay an attractive place to spend a day, a week or a lifetime. 

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