A multi-million dollar development at the Mends Street Jetty in South Perth has been approved by the state government. Environment minister Mark McGowan said the development – to be constructed in 2006-07 – includes the extention and redevelopment of the café, new boardwalks and a new public jetty erected for Transperth ferry passengers. “We want to encourage facilities that showcase our magnificent river to locals and national and international visitors,” Mr McGowan said. Proposed extensions to the Bellhouse café will enable another 77 patrons to be seated in the restaurant, bringing its capacity to 117 patrons. “The current establishment will be gutted and totally refurbished with extensive decking around the perimeter of the restaurant,” Mr McGowan said. The minister said ferry passengers, locals and tourists would also benefit from the construction of a new jetty at the site. “The existing Mends Street Jetty is the second busiest jetty on the Swan River, averaging half a million ferry passengers per year but it does not meet new disability access requirements and has almost no shelter for passengers,” he said. “The proposed jetty, to be located 15m to the west of the existing jetty, will be at least six metres wide for public safety and include shelter over the entire structure. “The developer will be required to pay the city the equivalent to the cost of constructing 20 car parking bays, to cater for the additional patronage.”