Sinking feeling for Town of East Fremantle finances as urgent safety issues uncovered at jetties
The Town of East Fremantle is trying to find an extra $375,000 to fix structural and safety problems on piers under its control.
Problems at the Mooring Piers and Leeuwin Boat Ramp in East Fremantle were revealed in an inspection by Indianic Group last year.
The Town is responsible for their maintenance under the seabed lease with the State Government.
It spent about $100,000 on the two facilities this fiscal year; about $22,000 of that was for inspections.
It said $376,588.50 was needed for critical work on the mooring pens and replacement of the steel subframe at the Leeuwin Boat Ramp.
Indianic Group said the piles at both sites were in good condition but the steel structures above were in poor condition.
There was severe to heavy corrosion on the piers and “moderate to heavy rot” in some wood piles. The pipes under the piers had also become dislodged and partially fallen into the water.
Recommended work included replacing support brackets and removing rust. Work on the supports above the pier was classified as high priority because they are structural components.
Securing the conduit was also a priority as it could pose a safety hazard if it contained active cabling.
None of the facilities are included in the town’s asset management plans and there is no dedicated maintenance budget.
Funding is available from the State Government’s recreational boating facilities programme, which can cover three-quarters of the cost.
At its meeting on March 17, the town council voted unanimously to consider including funds for the works in the 2026-27 budget, as well as to authorize its CEO to handle the divestiture of the town of Mooring Piers.
A report to the council said the work should be carried out regardless of future ownership decisions due to the risk.
Mayor Tony Natale said not much work had been done on the piers and warned of budget pressures.
He told the meeting: “The income from the piers is about $170,000, after fixed costs we only have $90,000 left to deal with this situation.”
“Be prepared to talk about what is needed and be a little innovative in how we deliver what we need to the service.”
Cr Mark Wilson, chairman of the town’s works committee, said the inspection report arrived quickly.
“The report clearly shows that the moorings, dock structures and boat ramp off the Left Bank require urgent repairs,” he said.
He was glad they were now on the town’s asset register.
The 2025-26 midyear budget review presented at the same meeting projects a surplus of $209,020. The town plans to use it as a safety net for the East Fremantle Community Park budget.
