Published 02 October 2026
At its Ordinary Council Meeting last night, Bunbury City Council resolved to remove Marlston Jetty after a second unsuccessful application for State Government funding for detailed design works.
The jetty - built in 2003 by LandCorp and gifted to the City of Bunbury - has been closed for most of the past six years. It is no longer held to the adjoining limestone seawall well enough to support moored boats safely.
Removal is quoted at about $210,000. Modifying the jetty would have cost more than $1,000,000, plus ongoing maintenance.
The City applied twice to the State Government's Recreational Boating Facilities Scheme to fund the design work. Both applications were declined. The Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure has since advised the project is unlikely to be considered under that program, pointing to existing boat launching facilities at Koombana Bay, Stirling Street, and Casuarina Boat Harbour.
Mayor Jaysen Miguel said the decision was not the one some of the community had hoped for.
"Last year we asked the community how they used Marlston Jetty, and 105 people took the time to tell us. Of those, 84 per cent said restoring it mattered to them. We took that support back to the State Government, and we were unfortunately again unsuccessful in gaining funding.” Mayor Miguel said.
"That left Council with a hard choice. Spending more than a million dollars of ratepayers' money on a jetty that would still be unusable for mooring at times - or accepting that this structure has reached the end of its life. We chose the second, and I understand that will disappoint a lot of people."
Marine engineers found the jetty sits too low, with most of the structure in the tidal water range rather than above it, which has caused the timber and steel to deteriorate faster than they should. Engineers have also advised it is possible the jetty is adding to damage to the limestone seawall it is attached to.
Other constraints come from where the jetty sits. The predominant waves across that part of the waterfront makes mooring unsuitable in many conditions, and moored boats are exposed to wake from boats using the nearby ski area. The 2025 Aquatic Use Review for Koombana Bay and Bunbury Waterways also raised concerns about the jetty's closeness to the designated ski area and the risk of collision.
Boaters and anglers have alternatives at Lyons Cove near Sykes Foreshore and Stirling Street boat ramps. Nearby Casuarina Boat Harbour has upgraded boat ramp and trailer facilities; and the State Government has committed an additional $89.1 million to deliver Stage 3 of the Transforming Bunbury’s Waterfront initiative that includes 54 extra berthing pens and an accessible fishing platform.
Mayor Miguel said removing the structure did not close the door on a jetty somewhere better suited.
"A majority of the community told us they would be open to a jetty in a different location. That idea is still very much alive should a suitable location and funding source be found.” Mayor Miguel said.
"To everyone who fished off that jetty, tied up for lunch, or taught their kids to drop a line there – thank you for telling us what it meant to you. It mattered to this decision, even though the outcome is not the one you wanted."
Funding for the removal will be considered in the 2026/2027 budget review. If it cannot be met then, it will be considered as part of the 2027/2028 annual budget process. The community will be notified before removal works start.
Background information and answers to common questions are available here: Marlston Jetty - City of Bunbury