Published on Friday, 16 April 2021 at 3:09:20 PM
We all love our fabulous Busselton Jetty but did you ever consider how such a significant major community asset is funded and maintained now and into the future? 
Well you help fund this iconic structure – not just through your rates but every time you visit a foreshore operator for a burger or a coffee, or purchase a ticket to stroll the Jetty, ride the Jetty train or visit the Underwater Observatory.
Whether you use the Jetty regularly or not, we all make an ongoing funding contribution toward its upkeep. Few would argue that this community contribution is anything other than completely appropriate given the Jetty’s cultural, historical and economic significance.
To ensure the Jetty’s 50 year Asset Management Plan can be undertaken, the City allocates around $1.35m into a special Jetty Reserve Fund each year. Of this amount Busselton Jetty Inc. currently contributes $850,000 which is 25% of its gross operating revenue - the other 75% ($2.55m) they retain for annual operating costs as per their licence agreement with the City. The City makes up the balance of approximately $500,000 through rate contributions and the collection of ground lease commercial fees from foreshore operators such as the Goose, the Equinox and Shelter Brewery all of which help attract visitors to the foreshore and the Jetty.
What does this $1.35m fund in terms of annual and future expenditure? Around $145,000 is expended in salary costs primarily for those City employees who maintain the Jetty upkeep on a daily basis. A further $160,000 is directed toward lighting, cleaning, security and waste disposal. Additionally funds are also spent on scheduled renewal works such as pile and timber section upgrades or replacements many of which occur under the waterline and while they often can’t be seen, these works ensure the Jetty’s structural integrity is maintained well into the future. Funding left over at the end of the financial year is retained in this special City reserve account specifically for future scheduled maintenance and renewal works as per the Jetty Asset Management Plan. Currently there is over $5m in this special Jetty Reserve Fund which has been built up over the last decade, since the Jetty reopened.
In addition to this annual allocation the City also covers self-insurance costs for the Busselton Jetty which in 2020/2021 was $76,000. The asset replacement value of the Busselton Jetty is in excess of $80 million. Over the years it has benefited from considerable State, Federal, City and community funding. The Busselton Foreshore redevelopment project has attracted over $100m of Government and private investment over the past decade. New amenities including an event-size amphitheatre, our award winning playgrounds, beautifully designed public open spaces and an expanding array of commercial offerings have supported the Jetty through increased visitation. The commencement of regular aircraft passenger flights mid 2021 will also see the Busselton Jetty elevated onto an even greater platform as we welcome more and more visitors into the region from interstate and, in the future, from international destinations.
Busselton Jetty Inc. are licensed by the City to operate and manage the Jetty on behalf of the community and they are doing a fabulous job. When you’re next admiring our beautiful Jetty give yourself a pat on the back. Your contribution is vital, not only to its day-to-day upkeep but to its long-term future.
Busselton Jetty Inc
Back to All News