The closing of the Tumby Bay jetty due to recent storm damage should be a wake-up call for the State Government on the future of jetties across South Australia, according to Sam Telfer MP, Liberal Member for Flinders.
Mr Telfer today reiterated his call for the Malinauskas Government to acknowledge the needs of regional communities by investing in the maintenance of jetties across South Australia.
“Our regional communities can no longer be ignored, with the result of State government inaction now on full view in Tumby Bay,” Mr Telfer said.
“Tumby Bay Jetty is a major tourism drawcard, and a focal point of the community, and its closure is a sad indictment on the government’s attitude on such important community infrastructure.”
Mr Telfer reiterated that jetties are owned by the State Government, but many are managed by local governments on long term leases, many of which are shortly due to expire.
“The time is now overdue for significant investment into the State jetty network especially here at Tumby Bay, as has been proven by the degradation of one of our State’s most iconic jetty structures,” Mr Telfer said. “I hope this sad scenario with the Tumby Bay jetty is the wake-up jolt that the government needs to recognise that we can’t afford to lose these incredibly important social, cultural, and recreational structures.”