The City of Coffs Harbour is seeking funding from the NSW and Australian governments to be able to deliver critical refurbishment works on the historic and iconic Coffs Harbour Jetty structure.
Council has endorsed a proposal to make an application to the Australian Government's Growing Regions Program – Round 1 and to also write to the NSW Government seeking matching funding to support the vital project.
"The Coffs Harbour Jetty structure is integral to the history and fabric of Coffs Harbour," said the City's Mayor, Cr Paul Amos.
"It is an iconic and much-loved Coffs Harbour landmark and without a major upgrade, it is nearing the end of its life. We are taking action to seek urgent funding from both the Australian and NSW governments to be able to move quickly on this project and save the Jetty structure."
The Jetty has been listed for several years in the City's financial statements as being in poor condition and in need of renewal.
A report to Council in May 2020 estimated the total renewal costs to be in the range of $16-20 million but a new estimate indicates a funding requirement of up to $30 million.
In late November, the City was advised that its expression of interest under the Australian Government's new Growing Regions Program - Round 1 for the Jetty Structure Refurbishment was successful. A full application will be lodged by the deadline of 15 January 2024.
The program will contribute up to 50 per cent of project funding up to a maximum of $15 million. If the application is successful, early planning works must commence in May 2024 and be completed by 31 December 2025.
"The tight timeline means we must urgently seek matching NSW Government funding for the Jetty structure project, so we will be writing to the NSW Premier, the Minister for Heritage and the Minister for Lands and Property to seek their support," Cr Amos said.
Cr Amos said that when the City took control of the Jetty in the 2000s it only did so on the grounds that it would be retained as a Crown asset of the Coffs Coast State Park and that the Jetty structure would be brought up to an acceptable standard at the State's cost prior to the transfer of ownership.
"This is not just a significant asset for the Coffs Harbour community and our visitor economy, it is significant for the state, being now listed on the State Heritage Register, and for these reasons funding from the NSW Government is appropriate," Cr Amos said.
The Jetty structure is the last surviving state government-built jetty in NSW from the late nineteenth century, originally built to support coastal shipping between Sydney and Brisbane.
Work was initially completed on the structure in August 1892 and it has since been widened in parts, lengthened several times, strengthened, narrowed in parts, and finally shortened.
The Jetty structure is 450 metres long and supported by approximately 750 piles, and it is built entirely from timber. It is listed as a structure of local and state significance, having been included on the State Heritage Register in 2021.
