Victor Harbor’s Granite Island causeway needs ‘big cash injection’ following closure of horse-drawn tram service

The Granite Island causeway needs a huge cash injection to fix the heritage-listed landmark, locals say, following the closure of the horse-drawn tram.

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The Granite Island causeway needs a huge cash injection to replace old infrastructure, locals say, following the closure of the horse-drawn tram.

One of the causeway’s pylons partially gave way on Tuesday, causing a dip in the tram line and forcing services to a halt.

Spirit Australia Cruises runs the Big Duck Boat Tours from the causeway, and director Michael Veenstra said successive state governments had neglected the State Heritage-listed structure for decades.

“It’s an icon for Victor Harbor and it was only a matter of time before something was going to happen,” Mr Veenstra said.

“There’s a lot of replacement pylons that have been put out there over the last 30 or 40 years.

“The timber ones are the historic part of it and a lot of those are rotten. We have heavy trams and horses using the causeway, so that’s a lot of load.”

Mr Veenstra said the causeway needed a “big cash injection”.

“There’s been talk about (potentially) completely replacing the whole thing, rather than restoring it.”

The obvious dip in the causeway linking Victor Harbor to Granite Island. Picture: Gary Juleff

Victor Harbor Council runs the horse-drawn tram, but the State Government is responsible for the causeway, which is still open to foot traffic.

The council hopes the tram will be back up and running by the end of the week.

Council chief executive Victoria MacKirdy said the causeway was “vitally important to Victor Harbor and a lifeline for Granite Island”.

“We are disappointed to cancel the horse tram service given it is our peak season and trams have generally been operating at capacity,” Ms MacKirdy said.

“However, the safety of our passengers, horses and staff is paramount, and we will not be operating until we are satisfied that it is safe.

Scores of pedestrians use the causeway. Picture: Gary Juleff

“The council will continue to strongly advocate for a much-needed upgrade of the heritage-listed structure.”

Mick Dyer, co-owner of Oceanic Victor, which runs penguin tours, a cafe, and in-sea aquarium from Granite Island, hoped the tram would be back up and running quickly to help locals capitalise on the busy holiday period.

“They’re working as quickly as they can to get a team to assess and repair it,” Mr Dyer said.

“On New Year’s Eve, they were running three trams to keep up with people – it’s very important the tram operates,” Mr Dyer said.

His business opened The Island Cafe at Granite Island on December 28, reviving the former restaurant site which had been closed for three years due to structural problems.

A Transport Department spokesman said it was planning a full condition assessment of the entire causeway, including recommended repairs. It would be completed before July.

Infrastructure Minister Stephan Knoll told ABC Radio Adelaide that repairs on the snapped pylon would continue over the next few days and a structural review was planned for later this year.

“We know it’s an aged piece of infrastructure that needs some love, but it’s a heritage-listed item and that does make it more difficult, we can’t simply knock sections of it down and replace it, we want to try and keep heritage values of it.” he said.

“If we see more breakages like we have done then odds are it would be closed longer and at much less convenient times.”

Victor Harbor’s horse-drawn tram is a popular tourist attraction. Picture: Tricia Watkinson