The Alexandrina Council plans to bring back the beloved pontoon to Horseshoe Bay in Port Elliot this Summer.
The flotation device washed ashore in stormy weather on the weekend of 14 and 15 September after the mooring came loose. The structure was removed for an assessment of the damage but has not been returned since.
Community groups have since called for it to be re-installed, including the Port Elliot Surf Life Saving Club and Port Elliot Town and Foreshore Improvement Association.
Local ratepayer and member of both groups, Belinda Sullivan, says it has been a beloved part of the coast for many years and is a much safer option for thrill-seekers for jumping than the jetty.
“The Surf Club recognised back in 2012/ 2013 that having a pontoon moored in deeper water would serve a few functions one would be to provide a safe place to jump off and go deep, and another one would be to ensure that when people, when they jumped off the jetty, if they didn’t want to swim back to the beach they had a pontoon about 70 metres, 80 metres away they could swim to, have a rest and go back… and then once it was in place we realised how much people use it,” Belinda Sullivan said to ARN’s Adam and Jennie last week.
There was a public meeting held in the Council Chambers yesterday, Monday 18 November, following discussion at a confidential Special Council Meeting on 4 November 2024.
Mayor Keith Parkes has this morning told ARN’s Adam and Jennie that Councillors have agreed to get it back in the water as soon as they are able.
“Good news, it was quite a long deliberation, mainly around getting our head around the process, but eventually it all came good and went through,” Mayor Parkes told ARN’s Adam and Jennie.
“We’ve applied to DIT (Department of Infrastructure and Transport) for a permit … and that’s in process and the response we’ve is very favourable so we would expect that approval to be through within days,
“We’ll then talk to our insurers who have told us we need that approval, we’ll then discuss with them what other requirements they have for maintenance… we’ll have some discussion with the Port Elliot Surf Life Saving Club to see if they can help us with a visual inspection from the land on a regular basis and make sure the navigation light is operating and we’ll also contact some South Australian diving clubs and see if they’re interested in coming down once a year and doing an underwater inspection for us.”
He said this move will likely reduce ongoing costs and will help to ensure the pontoon is safe and compliant.
Mayor Parkes said the community engagement on the issue has been amazing.
“I mean Horseshoe Bay is just a gem by itself, it’s beautiful and a very, very safe swimming area. So, we certainly expected a response from the community, but it was overwhelming the response and we had a gallery absolutely packed with nowhere for people to sit, it was overflowing. It was great to see that interraction,” Mayor Parkes said.
