Streeter’s Jetty to be restored to former glory

Published on 26 May 2021

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Broome’s iconic Streeter’s Jetty is set for a reconstruction, with the Shire of Broome given the green light to restore the important local attraction to its former glory.

Thorough structural investigations were undertaken last year by an external engineering consultancy, who found the jetty’s piles and bracing were failing and a full replacement was required. Due to safety concerns, the jetty has been closed to the public since February 2020.

First constructed in 1886, this will be the fifth time that the jetty has been demolished and rebuilt, with the last full reconstruction taking place in 2000.

The current jetty is 69m in length and constructed of natural timber saltwater Cajaput piles. The option to rebuild the structure in its current form was explored but not found to be feasible as it would not meet Australian standards for crowd loading and vessel berthing.

The Shire has engaged with local stakeholders and the Heritage Council of Western Australia to provide input into the reconstruction of the jetty.

It will be constructed with 14 steel piles and a steel frame supporting timber decking, kerbs, handrails and a section of heritage façade, which will be constructed from historic materials and replicate the existing jetty.

The removal of mangroves that have colonised around the jetty is required to allow the reconstruction and a clearing permit application was lodged with the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation in August 2020.

However, after the permit was granted in November 2020, an appeal was lodged. The appellant’s concern primarily related to potential impacts to the habitat of the Roebuck Bay mangrove snake.

The Shire engaged ecologists, who identified 177 hectares of potentially suitable habitat and discovered five snakes across the survey sites.

This work has improved the knowledge of the distribution and habitat preferences of this species, which was poorly understood previously. The appeal was dismissed with an additional requirement for a fauna spotter to be present during clearing.

Shire of Broome deputy president Desiree Male said the new jetty would look almost identical to the current version, maintain continued public access to the structure and ensure a design life of 50-70 years.

“Streeter’s Jetty is an important link back to, and recognition of, Broome’s pearling story – it is hugely significant and part of our town’s rich history,” she said.

“However, the current structure is falling apart and is unsafe – there is no way to refurbish the existing jetty; it must be rebuilt.

“The Shire has taken the task of reconstructing the jetty very seriously. The new jetty will maintain the current version’s charm and aesthetics, while ensuring it is structurally sound long into the future.

“We hope this iconic Broome attraction will be back available to the community as soon as possible - an appropriate contractor to undertake the work is being sought.”

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