Island fury over plans to pull down ‘unsafe’ Straddie jetty
Anger is mounting over state government plans to pull down a popular jetty on North Stradbroke Island.
Redlands Coast
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Anger is mounting over State Government plans to pull down a popular jetty on North Stradbroke Island.
The Transport Department wrote to Dunwich residents this month to inform them that the Harold Walker jetty at Junner St, would be pulled down early next year, because it was unsafe and too expensive to repair.
“A recent engineering assessment of the jetty indicates (sic) has exceeded its design life, is unsafe for use by boats or pedestrians and is uneconomic to repair,” the letter said.
The 34-year-old jetty is used by hundreds of residents each year for fishing and is a favourite spot for tourists and has a commemorative plaque in honour of the Walker family.
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Department officials closed the jetty in June citing corrosion fears but tourists have been seen pulling back the cordon and throwing in a line.
It has also been occasionally used by SeaLink water taxis for docking and offloading when the SeaLink pontoon is out of action.
The naming plaque and stone will be retained at the site along with a piece of the jetty handrail.
Current options for plaque include handing it back to the Walker family or placing in the North Stradbroke Island museum.
Island residents, who did not want to be named, said there had been no community consultation about pulling down the jetty, which was regarded as a piece of the island’s history.
“Generations of islanders have learned to fish from this jetty which is the only one at Dunwich,” a resident said.
“The Amity jetty had a $300,000 overhaul just recently so why can’t the same be done for the jetty at Dunwich?
“Other beachfront tourist sites at Redcliffe, Hervey Bay, Wynnum and Wellington Point have amazing tourist infrastructure – so if Straddie is supposed to survive on tourism after mining, we need a jetty there.”
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