Whyalla’s jetty is a showpiece for the city that has attracted global attention since its opening in September 2020. The jetty’s balustrades ensure the public are safe when using the facility as it was designed – for walking and fishing – but the safety of those choosing to jump from the jetty is at serious risk. Whyalla City Council and Whyalla Police are therefore working together to educate the community on the potentially fatal dangers of jetty jumping.
The council undertook extensive consultation with five jetty design options considered and this uniquely shaped jetty was overwhelmingly popular so was chosen by the community as the preferred option. The circle was popular because it was a real point of difference.
The new jetty is 165m long, 38m longer than the old one. However, the circumference of the loop is a further 150m of walking distance. In total, the jetty is approximately 315m long, while the old jetty was 122m long.
The new jetty is made of industrial-strength pre-cast concrete slabs that are suitable for marine environments. The council chose to use a reinforcement made from a high strength fibre rather than steel which helps to reduce the possible rusting components that are highly susceptible to the marine environment.
Disabled Access:
There is disabled access which has been a key design requirement right from the start. A 45m access ramp is being built to Australia standards and is still under construction. They have allowed for open sections of jetty for children and people in wheelchairs to admire the view.
There are also 6 locations around the exterior of the jetty that have sliding sleeves on the top handrail sections for children or the disabled to fish from.
Is there a swimming enclosure?
The council carefully considered making the centre loop a swimming enclosure however the additional cost of netting and on-going maintenance was considered too high a cost. There is a dedicated swimming enclosure inside the marina which you walk past on your way to the jetty.
The jetty opened in September 2020 – check out the video below:
What about lighting?
The jetty has bespoke lighting inside the top handrail. Each 500mm of handrail has a 50mm LED pod around the entire length of the interior and exterior balustrade. This has created a state-of-the-art sleek modern look jetty in contrast with the previous jetty which was lit with traditional overhead lighting.
Location:
Whyalla foreshore | Whyalla, South Australia
For more information and all enquiries please visit the Whyalla website.
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
Image Source: Whyalla website
SUBSCRIBE
Want to get all the latest events and activities straight to your inbox?
Subscribe to our weekly email newsletter below to keep up to date with our latest posts and find out all the best events & activities for Adelaide families. Newsletters are only sent once a week, and you may sometimes get a special offer exclusively for our subscribers only!
