A scaled back version of the initial $32 million Busselton Jetty expansion has been given the go-ahead by the city, after a drastic costs spike almost made the project "impossible".
A scaled back version of the initial $32 million Busselton Jetty expansion has been given the go-ahead by the city, after a drastic costs spike almost made the project "impossible".
Not-for-profit organisation Busselton Jetty Inc had been working on plans to activate the 156-year-old jetty with a $32 million proposal to create an Australian Underwater Discovery Centre and a Food and Beverage Village.
The structure was planned to be fabricated in Henderson and then towed to Busselton.
However, Henderson-based subsea solutions company Subcon Blue Solutions advised BJI the project’s cost had increased by more than 50 per cent.
BJI chairperson Barry House said the estimation rose to $57 million as the design was close to being finalised in October last year.
“That was impossible, we were $25 million short of the full project,” he said.
BJI went back to the drawing board to rescope the project to deliver its vision in two stages, with the first phase now estimated to cost $26.04 million with $25.24 million secured from Lotterywest, state and federal grants, and BJI funds.
BJI is also applying to Lotterywest for an additional $800,000 to meet budget.
Now dubbed the Village Project, the first stage proposes to build a Marine Park interpretation zone with exhibits, underwater viewing, night underwater dining, three function areas, an exhibition space, new platform for boats to park, a food and beverage village and three new marine-themed electric vehicles at the end of the 1.8km jetty.
The City of Busselton councillors unanimously supported the rescaled design at their meeting last night.
“We’ve managed to gain federal government approval to reuse the grant money we had,” Mr House said.
"We rescoped the project so that we ticked off the major thing people were asking us for and that was activation at the end of the jetty.
“Now we’ve come up with this plan which was approved last night by the Busselton City Council, to deliver most of our objectives for a budget of $26 million.
“We anticipate it all to come together in the next month or so for a timeline of completion by June 30 next year.”
Councillors also approved to delegate authority to the city's chief executive to negotiate and enter into a legal agreement with Busselton Jetty Inc to formalise delivery and operation arrangements for the project.
Mr House said the “dream” for the full project, the four-storey whale-shaped underwater observatory, was still alive but might be five or 10 years away.
“That was just out of reach with our current cost estimate, we had to put that on hold,” he said.
“The board’s vision is broadly to activate the end of the jetty to provide more capacity for our tourism business which means more capacity for the underwater experiences that people enjoy as well as the food and beverage on deck in the new village.
“The other main purpose of doing this is to generate some more revenue from what we’re doing at the end of the jetty and that all goes back into the maintenance and preservation of the jetty in the perpetuity.”
The Village Project is expected to begin construction in June, pending approvals with state agencies.
