There is a community push to bring the much-loved pontoon at Horseshoe Bay back, following damage.
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.
There are concerns from some community groups, including the Port Elliot Surf Life Saving Club and Port Elliot Town and Foreshore Improvement Association, that it may not be reinstated by the Alexandrina Council.
Local ratepayer and member of both groups, Belinda Sullivan, said 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 this morning.
Belinda said she would like to encourage everyone who would like to see the pontoon restored to the bay to email Alexandrina Council with their reasons via alex@alexandrina.sa.gov.au.
Alexandrina Mayor Keith Parkes said the issue is on the agenda for council, and has been discussed at a Special Council Meeting on 4 November 2024. As the item contained legal advice, it had to be considered in confidence.
“Alexandrina Council appreciates that there is considerable public interest in the pontoon, and we wanted to be able to share as much information as possible with the community and debate any recommendations in public,” Mayor Keith Parkes said in a statement.
At the November 4 meeting, Council Members voted to receive the confidential report on the pontoon and to prepare another report that could be publicly shared at the 18 November Council Meeting, which will contain recommendations related to the pontoon and financial implications.
The agenda for the 18 November Council Meeting will be published late Thursday afternoon, according to legislative requirements.
“Our 18 November 2024 meeting is open to the public and audio recordings of our meetings are made available when the minutes are published,” Mayor Parkes said.
