BUSSELTON Jetty Environment and Conservation Association may not be able to comply immediately with a shire council request to contribute $1.6 million to the jetty restoration process.
The request for the money was part of the council’s decision to accept the State Government’s offer to repair the jetty.
Shire president Wes Hartley told the Mail that the shire had written to the Busselton Jetty Environment and Conservation Association (BJECA) on December 7, quoting the council resolution of its November 28 meeting which referred to BJECA “irrevocably committing the $1.6 million to the jetty restoration”.
He said the shire received a response from BJECA on December 20, acknowledging its letter and stating that the request had been noted by BJECA, but that its next full meeting was scheduled for January 3.
Cr Hartley said that the shire had not received an official response from that meeting.
BJECA executive officer Darryl Green confirmed the letter from the shire council had been received but the matter had been deferred to its next meeting in February because of the unavailability of members over the Christmas holiday break.
However, from the minutes of that meeting BJECA believes it may not have $1.6 million on hand to commit to the project, for a number of reasons.
It has an outstanding loan from the State Treasury of $600,000 with a repayment schedule over the next 10 years.
It was also stated that BJECA did not have a current jetty operator agreement with the shire and it could not be assumed there would be continuity of income to repay the loan over 10 years.
It was raised whether it would be more prudent to pay out the loan immediately, if it could be done.
The meeting decided that the executive officer investigate Treasury regulations/conditions relating to the early repayment of the loan.
It was also revealed in the minutes that $1.23 million was held in the Capital and Depreciation Reserve, which was set up last August for two purposes.
They were the Underwater Observatory (UWO) and Interpretive Centre (IC), which were on a 30-year depreciation schedule giving an annual amount of $200,000 and $30,000 respectively, while three large projects needed to be funded; $350,000 for the new jetty train, $250,000 for UWO scaffolding and $400,000 for extensions to the IC.
Cr Hartley said a letter from the Minister for the South West Mark McGowan had expressed confidence that the Busselton Jetty Project Working Group would soon be able to prepare the details of the Project Agreement for signing by both the shire and the State Government, which would include the initiation and advertising of the rezoning of identified land.
“The Minister also indicated that he had written to Anthony Albanese, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, requesting $6 million of Federal assistance for the project of restoring a national tourist icon and reaffirming the desire for the refurbishment work to commence in spring 2008,” he said.
“The Minister further advised Mr Albanese that written approaches had been made on several occasions by both the shire and the Premier of Western Australia to the former Prime Minister and several former ministers.”
The shire met with BJECA on Monday and Cr Hartley described the outcome as ‘fruitful’.
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