Sinking feeling as $20m jetties repair gift is ‘drop in the ocean’, according to regional leaders

A chunk of money allocated to jetty repairs in the state budget is a drop in the ocean for regional leaders, who say it’s not enough and the problem is only getting worse.

Kingston District Council CEO Nat Traeger and Mayor Jeff Pope at Kingston Jetty. Picture: Nat Morris

Twenty million dollars allocated in the state budget for the urgent repair of jetties is woefully inadequate according to regional leaders.

However the state government has hit back at the sentiment, saying councils need to do more to maintain the community assets.

The sum will provide $5 million per year for four years to partner with local councils and improve the condition and sustainability of the state’s ageing jetties.

Kingston District Council CEO Nat Traeger said while any amount of money would be useful, the sum earmarked would fall well short of what was needed to get the jetty in the South-East tourism hub up to scratch.

“I’d like that $20m just for my jetty,” Ms Traeger said.

“Twenty million, over four years, for all of regional South Australia – it’s not going to go far.

“We’ll take that money in a heartbeat and undergo urgent maintenance issues to keep it open, but if we don’t take some action soon with some pretty hefty funding then we’ll be in a spot of bother and the jetty might have to close.”

Kingston District Council CEO Nat Traeger and Mayor Jeff Pope at Kingston Jetty. Picture: Nat Morris

Ms Traeger said the entire annual rate revenue for the council was only $5 million dollars.

“Our community is loath to spend that on a state government-owned asset,” she said.

“Even though we have a long-term lease over it, the council of the day only took that lease because the state government of the day threatened to remove the jetty if they didn’t take on that lease.”

It’s a sentiment reflected by long-time Tumby Bay jetty advocate Eric Kotz.

Mr Kotz said the closure of the Tumby jetty, fenced off after storm damage eight months ago, had been a disaster for the Eyre Peninsula town.

“We need to be top of the list when this money is dished out because our jetty is actually closed, be we haven’t got much clout over here,” Mr Kotz said.

Yorke Peninsula Council is in the unique position of being in charge of 12 of the 36 SA jetties that have been divested to council control.

CEO Andrew Cameron said the council had long struggled to bring state governments to the table over the issue.

“Until now those pleas have fallen on deaf ears, so this is at least a step in the right direction,” Mr Cameron said.

The run down Kingston Jetty. Picture: Anna Min

He said many of the jetties in the council area were in need of major repair, and that they were a major driver of tourism in the region.

Infrastructure Minister Tom Koutsantonis said councils have been “contractually obliged under long term lease arrangements to maintain their jetties”.

“While some councils, through no fault of their own, have been left to repair storm-damaged jetties, there are others that have taken these important community assets for granted, in some cases over an extended period of time,” Mr Koutsantonis said.

“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.

“The State Budget has a funding provision that allows us the discretion to identify jetties in desperate need of attention but we expect councils to demonstrate a willingness to pay their share.”