Straddie jetty demolition starts ahead of school holidays with costs estimated at $2m

State contractors have started demolishing North Stradbroke Island’s Harold Walker Jetty, with the initial $750,000 cost now believed to have blown out to $2 million.

Hundreds of people protested in 2021 to keep the jetty after a wrangle broke out between the council and the state over who would pay for repairs. Picture: Judith Kerr

State government contractors have started demolishing a popular jetty on North Stradbroke Island, just days before hundreds of tourists descend on the holiday destination.

Holiday-makers will have to wait until the September school break to use the Harold Walker Jetty at Dunwich after demolition works started last week.

Island residents were first made aware work had started when a massive crane on a barge started ripping down the rusting structure near the island ferry terminal on Tuesday.

It was still unknown how much the replacement structure would cost but initial estimates of $750,000 were believed to have climbed to more than $2.2 million.

The jetty, built in 1987, has been a favourite fishing spot for locals and holiday-makers for more than 30 years.

Harold Walker jetty has been a popular fishing spot for tourists and locals. Picture: Contributed

It sparked a heated wrangle between the state government and the local Redland council in 2019 when the Transport Department wrote to Dunwich residents telling them the jetty would be pulled down because it was rusting, unsafe and too expensive to repair.

That triggered a protracted two-year blame game and war of words with Redland City Council over ownership and which entity was responsible for maintaining the jetty.

Hundreds of angry residents staged a rally in 2021 after the then-transport minister Mark Bailey fired off a letter to the-then Redland mayor Karen Williams, distancing his department from the decision to rip down the 34-year-old structure.

He blamed the council for not maintaining it.

A sign alerting locals that the demolition had started. Picture: Contributed

The tussle also extended to arguments over which body would pay the massive $750,000 to rebuild the popular pier and replace it with a floating pontoon.

It was finally resolved when the state government said it would pick up the tab to replace the rusting fishing jetty, but continued to blame the local council for failing to maintain the structure.

The project, including the removal of the old jetty and installation of the floating pontoon, was part of a broader effort to enhance the island’s infrastructure.

This week, locals said they had not been kept in the loop about the demolition occurring during the school holidays.

They were surprised that offsite work had started in March and onsite demolition from a barge began in May.

The state government has kept the plans confidential.

Harold Walker’s son Simon Walker said he was made aware of works commencing but was waiting for the government to update the public.

Mr Walker said the primary construction phase was projected to conclude in July, with minor works continuing after that.

Harold Walker started the island ferry services in 1950 and they ran until 1974.

The new structure would retain its name in honour of the well-known ferry captain, who ran boats between Cleveland and Dunwich.