SOUTH LAKE residents have been left disappointed by the City of Cockburn after a jetty at Berrigan Lake was removed last month — with no plans to replace it.

The jetty was a much-loved feature of the suburb’s central park, used by children, families and wildlife watchers.

South Lake residents group president Tracy Kilian said residents were not consulted about its removal and only later discovered the pylons would remain but the jetty would not be rebuilt.

“We don’t have a lot in South Lake,” Ms Kilian said. “We don’t have a lot of public facilities, this is sort of our town centre.

“To just leave it looking abandoned and derelict is just unacceptable. It’s awful!”

“We want our jetty back.”

• South Lake residents wistfully look over the remaining pylons with Cr Phil Eva, wishing they still had their bridge. Photo by a waist-deep Steve Grant

Twelve-year-old South Lake resident Dylan Covi said she and her younger brother Noah had spent years visiting the jetty.

“Well, when we were growing up, we used to go to the jetty a lot, and we used to just like watch over and see the ducks,” Dylan said.

“We used to go on walks around the lake, and the jetty was my favourite part because I used to go up close and see the ducks.”

Her father Steve said he was “really disappointed” to see the decking removed without plans for a replacement.

The jetty was regularly semi-submerged when the lake rose during winter, but City of Cockburn councillor Phillip Eva said it could have been raised rather than removed.

“There is no reason why it could not be replaced with something a little bit higher,” Cr Eva said.

Cr Eva said he had received dozens of emails from residents seeking answers about the missing jetty.

Missing

“I want it back. The public over there are very upset about it being removed. A lot of people used it. It was a great asset to that area,” he said.

“There should have been a meeting with the residents in regard to what was happening to that structure.”

While gathering with residents for a Chook photo shoot, Cr Eva discovered the concrete end of the jetty had developed a significant crack, but still believes it’s fixable.

Residents are now rallying to have the jetty reinstated.

by IMOGEN WALSH