The Tumby Bay jetty will not re-open ahead of the busy tourism season

Locals fear the continued closure of a popular Eyre Peninsula jetty in the lead up to Christmas will see a decline in tourists.

The Tumby Bay community is concerned that this summer will see a decline in tourists due to the closure of the town’s iconic jetty.

The jetty, which has been closed since October, is not expected to open ahead of the seasonal influx of tourists.

Tumby Bay Caravan Park owner Rob Jewell said the closure is of concern as he has already had a number of cancellations over Christmas.

“There have been grievances from people saying they wouldn’t have come if they knew the jetty was closed,” Mr Jewell said.

“We’re so reliant on tourism in the town and the jetty is a part of that.”

Tumby Bay Mayor Geoff Churchett at the Tumby Bay jetty, which remains closed. Picture: Robert Lang

Glen Searle, owner of the local Mitre 10 store, is also worried that the closure will impact tourism.

“The town is renowned for it’s fishing and a lot of that revolves around the jetty,” he said.

Mr Searle said he believes his store will have a slight decrease in sales as tourists buy bait and camping equipment during their stay.

Dion Le Brun, president of the Tumby Bay Progress Association, said that the closure is “a really complicated situation”.

“The jetty requires significant investment which is beyond the ability of the local community.”

Mr Le Brun said the closure does have an affect on tourism but wanted to assure the public that the town has a lot more to offer and is still open for business.

Tumby Bay Mayor Geoff Churchett, said the council has received two engineers’ reports saying the jetty is in bad condition and should remain closed.

The damaged Tumby Bay Jetty. Picture: Supplied

Tumby Bay Mayor Geoff Churchett at the Tumby Bay jetty. Picture: Robert Lang

“Until such time as it’s repaired, it’s going to remain closed,” he said.

Mr Churchett said the council is doing everything in their power to get it up and running.

“It’s one of the top priorities at the moment and we’ll continue to work hard to get the best results as possible,” he said.

“We’re getting a lot closer with it, early in the new year we hope to hear some positive news.”

The mayor said the council has had several discussions with the government regarding the jetty reopening.

The state government has been conducting a pilot study into several of South Australia’s jetties – with it expected to conclude by the end of the year.

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said he has met with representatives from the Tumby Bay council to discuss “future management” of the jetty and “how to restore it as a safe and usable local gathering place”.

”Assessments indicate repair works could cost several million dollars and take several months”

The Minister has confirmed that results from the pilot study will be collated in coming weeks.

“As part of this pilot program the State Government is developing a comprehensive business plan for each of the jetties included in the program.”