Bunbury boaties upset as weather delays ramp

Bunbury's boat users have been left fuming after weeks of delays to the construction and installation of a new boat ramp and floating jetty at the Bunbury Power Boat Club.

Unseasonably bad weather has been blamed for the delay, which has resulted in waiting times of up to an hour at Casuarina Harbour as people try to get their boats in and out of the water.

Bunbury Power Boat Club spokesman Shane Beattie said he was receiving several calls a day from people asking about the ramp.

It was supposed to have been finished by the start of October.

“There has been some movement towards completing the ramp but very little and my feeling is we’ll be lucky if it is usable by Christmas,” he said.

“This is the most used boat ramp in Bunbury – probably around 45 per cent of all the boats in the area get put in the water at the Power Boat Club.

“It usually takes five minutes to get into the water so hearing that people are waiting up to an hour at Casuarina Harbour is unacceptable.

It is only going to get busier every weekend as summer approaches.”

City of Bunbury director of works and services Phil Harris said the ramp would be installed by the end of the week but did not provide a firm completion time for the jetty.

“The prolonged wet and stormy conditions presented many problems for the contractors which delayed the project by many weeks,” he said.

“It is anticipated that the ramp should be usable this coming weekend with the jetty structure being placed within the next few weeks

“The (jetty) structures arrive this week and will take several weeks to assemble and place in the water.

“The last two panels were placed yesterday with piling anticipated to commence today.”

Mr Beattie said the delay had a negative effect on the Power Boat Club’s membership numbers.

“No one is certain when the work will be done which is making people think twice about joining the club,” he said.