General News
13 June, 2026
Rivals for funding
MISSION Beach’s boating community will have to wait a while longer to find out if there will be any money committed in the 2026-2027 council budget to replace the stairs and platforms, other maintenance and upkeep work at Perry Harvey Jetty.
As reported in recent editions of The Observer, the Mission Beach Boating Association (MBBA) and the daughter of the tourism pioneer who the jetty is named after have been actively campaigning to repair and maintain the structure to its full function as both a backup boating facility, and tourism and land fishing attraction.
Cassowary Coast Regional Council CEO Andrew Graffen was asked about the jetty at the most recent council meeting in May.
The answer focused on council’s stance on the jetty – that it is a “fishing platform” more than a jetty for boats to use for passengers to embark or disembark.
On behalf of Cr Trudy Tschui, who was on a leave of absence from the meeting, Cr Nick Pervan asked questions supplied by the Mission Beach Boating Association: “Has the CCRC had any correspondence with engineers, contractors to determine the damage and repair costs, including the reinstatement of the Perry Harvey Jetty stairs and the platforms?”
Mr Graffen answered: “Council’s current adopted position is that the Perry Harvey Jetty will be retained as a fishing platform, not for mooring of vessels, but project scope and cost estimates have been prepared for council’s consideration as part of the current budget process.”
He did not disclose what the scope and cost estimates were for the jetty – but said that council had “a number of projects that council are considering at the moment in that maritime area” which would have to be weighed up in terms of asset depreciation and how much it would cost ratepayers.
One of those other maritime assets is about 50km by boat further south.
“Council are aware we have a risk that’s been identified with the Cardwell Jetty, where there is a significant amount of work potentially required on that jetty, as well, as we move forward,” Mr Graffen told the meeting.
“So, yes, the answer is there has been a project scoped and it’s been costed. That project is up for council deliberation against other projects that are currently also costed and scoped or required in that maritime asset area.”
Another question was about the state of the Mission Beach jetty’s poles which, according to the MBBA, “sitting off the end of the jetty are now unsupported by not being tied to the jetty and this puts both the fishing and viewing platform and the poles in a vulnerable and exposed position during extreme weather?”
Mr Graffen said he had been advised “the condition and the structural role of those brackets has been there to assist with the jetty, so the brackets were originally installed to help brace the jetty piles by connecting them back to the jetty girders.”
“Their purpose was to give the piles extra support when large vessels moored up against them and came in contact with the jetty, so over time the brackets have rusted and failed, but based on the current advice, it doesn’t present an immediate danger to the public, because we don’t have large vessels coming up against that jetty.
“Council will continue to monitor and consider that as part of the future jetty maintenance, but they’re not a critical part of the jetty structure.”
Read More: Mission Beach