Consultation widens the net on Augusta’s Turner Street Jetty replacement debate as shire mulls steep costs

The Shire of Augusta-Margaret River is following through on moves to broaden its consultation on the Augusta community’s beloved jetty after finding steep costs. As reported in July, the shire already received strong feedback from an Augusta-based consultation group that residents overwhelmingly wanted a “like-for-like” replacement for the Turner Street Jetty which was subject to a shock shutdown earlier this year. The shire closed the jetty without warning after an engineering review of the old structure found the jetty was deteriorating much faster than expected. The shutdown led to fierce backlash on social media, but when councillors debated how to proceed on the item in July, no resident spoke for the jetty. The shire had now attached an eye-watering $660,000 price tag to the rebuild. It was consulting further afield – across the whole Augusta-Margaret River community – to see if ratepayers outside of Augusta were as keen on the costly project. In shire communications put out late last week, president Julia Jean-Rice said officers had explored potential options for the future of the site and councillors needed an understanding of the broader opinions of residents before making any decision. “We know how special this jetty is to so many of our residents and that is important in our decision-making, but we also take our financial management seriously,” she said. “We want to understand the views of broad representation of our community before making the significant financial commitment, so regardless of where you live in our great shire, we would love to hear from you.” Tackling the project would mean switching money from nearby marine projects such as the Turner Street foreshore wall replacement, she warned. An Augusta Community Development Association spokesperson said the work of the community reference group and the shire were both supported. ACDA considered the latest survey as “progressing towards a practical and timely outcome for replacement of the Turner Street Jetty” and urged Augusta residents and their friends further afield to participate in the new survey. “We understand the shire is required to follow due process for reallocation of funding for capital works,” the spokesperson said. “We encourage Augusta residents to participate in the YourSay survey and to ask their friends in other parts of the shire to do so as well.” Consultation via the shire’s YourSay platform will close on November 10.