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It was once the lifeblood of Carnarvon, but today, the One Mile Jetty sits crumbling at the heart of the heritage precinct that was built to celebrate it. Built in 1897, it connected the town, 890 kilometres north of Perth, to the outside world before the first roads were built. It later became a popular fishing spot for generations of Carnarvon locals and visitors. But in 2017, the aging timber structure was declared a safety risk and shut off to the public. A refurbishment is expected to begin next year, with plans for part of the jetty to be publicly accessible by 2027 — a decade after it was closed. With federal funding going towards a glitzy new waterfront development, locals are disappointed about the jetty's future, but they are not yet giving up on seeing their treasured heirloom shine again. Memories of sunny days and manta rays When Jamie Venner was growing up, he spent much of his childhood at the jetty. "It was an institution for kids growing up in Carnarvon for sure and was a bit of a pretty big tourism draw," he said. "Carnarvon's got a long history — it goes back to like a western era, it was a cowboy kind of a town. "We don't need anything new and flash, we just need to preserve the things that we've got and I think tourists appreciate that — they don't want to go sit in a flash cafe or a wine bar or something, they've got that where they come from." Options for full restoration In 2021, the state government allocated $8.7 million to repair — rather than rebuild — the jetty after it was lashed by Cyclone Seroja. In stage 1, $4.2 million went to an emergency deconstruction of the intertidal and waterside parts and salvaging of fallen timbers to avoid navigational hazards. It left only 700 metres of the once mighty 1,450-metre structure standing. The long-awaited stage 2 will see up to 200m of the jetty restored – but it will not extend beyond marshland to reach the water. A business report by Acil Allen in 2022 weighed up 10 potential options for a stage 3, concluding that none of the options were financially viable. "The deterioration in the asset condition of the Carnarvon One Mile Jetty, leading to the eventual removal of the majority of the structure for community safety reasons, is the outcome of a series of decisions over more than 30 years," the report stated. The Department of Transport confirmed it did not intend to pursue any further rebuild or restoration past stage 2. Heritage assets left to decay With the jetty’s fate all but sealed, the Shire of Carnarvon is not pursuing further state government funding. "Given the significant whole-of-life costs and risks, we are not seeking to take on the ongoing management and maintenance of the jetty," said Shire CEO Mandy Dexter. "Our focus is completing the Tramway Bridge — a key town asset that connects directly to the Jetty’s heritage story." Another aging heritage asset, the Tramway Bridge was built in 1899 to connect the jetty to the centre of town. It is now closed to the public after also falling into disrepair. Recently, the Shire of Carnarvon was awarded $15.5 million in funding from the federal government under the regional Precincts and Partnerships Program (rPPP). While most will go to new developments, $3.7 million was allocated for bridge repairs, but not enough to complete the project. In the hope that one of its heritage assets could once again open to the public, the shire attempted to transfer the jetty repair money to the Tramway Bridge repair. The motion failed to pass the council. Carnarvon Heritage Group chair and shire councillor Dudley Maslen said he was frustrated by the situation. "We're not building the Sydney Harbour Bridge, but they're doing their best to make it look that way," he said. The ripple effect Carnarvon has about 6,500 residents and some locals say the combination of having few attractions, tough liquor laws and high crime have marred the town's reputation. It has left tourism operators and caravan parks reporting numbers down from previous years. Jo Bumbak has spent the past 26 years running her business, which is targeted towards tourists. This summer will be her last. A decline in visitor numbers over the past few years left her car park empty last school holidays, and she said the business was no longer viable. "Carnarvon doesn't have a lot of experiences, which is what the new tourist is chasing," she said. Ms Bumbak has been a passionate advocate for the jetty and fundraised $10,000 last year through her business. She aims to start a fundraiser involving making and selling one mile of rocky road that will be packaged up and sold to raise more money for the jetty. She would like to see the jetty restored to its former glory. "It is the greatest tourism asset that Carnarvon has and yet we can't get the support to fully fix this jetty," Ms Bumbak said. "It's the one thing that people love to come and fish off, they love to swim off it, jump off it, walk on it, kite surf off it. "The stories that people share today bring back all those memories and people want to experience that. "And to me that is extremely valuable for tourism." Looking to the future Instead of putting all of the federal government's $15.5 million funding to the town's heritage assets, the lion's share will go towards a brand new development dubbed "The Pier". The development proposes to build permanent housing, resort-style accommodation and a bar/bistro. Private developer DG Corp has been awarded the tender, but state government approvals have not been made yet. "It's going to happen and I'm pretty excited about it because we need that housing, both holiday and workforce housing," Shire President Eddie Smith said. "It's probably the best piece of land in Carnarvon." Regional tourism body Australia's Coral Coast chief executive David O'Malley agreed accommodation was an issue and more luxurious options could lure in visitors. "We need to attract the high value travellers and that basically means the people who spend more money," he said.
