Australind jetty closed after being deemed unsafe, with reopening plans slipping through the cracks

Question marks are still hanging over a timeline for reopening a six-decade-old jetty in the South West that has been closed to the public after a nearby resident was injured on the structure earlier this year. The Australind Jetty was shut in January after it was deemed unsafe because of eroding planks and is now awaiting a structural assessment by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. The State Government-owned structure, formally known as the Laporte Boardwalk/Jetty after the British company that constructed it, was built in the 1960s and has been a tourism attraction and popular spot for locals since it was opened to the public in the early 1990s. A DWER spokesperson said a consultant had now been appointed to lead the structural assessment of the jetty and was in discussion with the Harvey shire “after a local resident injured herself on the jetty.” “It is intended that this assessment, as well as other factors, will inform options for its future,” they said. The spokesperson said the department had been in discussions with the Shire of Harvey, Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. But the spokesperson did not say when the assessment would be completed and the jetty could be opened. Shire president Paul Gillett said the shire also had not been given any indication on when it could be reopened. “We apologise that the jetty can’t be enjoyed at this time, but we are working with DWER to ensure that the jetty is repaired and back open to the community in the near future,” he said “As the jetty is not owned or managed by the Shire of Harvey, our staff are awaiting the outcome of an assessment from DWER, which will determine a cost estimate to repair the jetty and ensure it is safe for the community to use.”