Graham Peachey, Geoffrey Manias and Jim Richards of Narooma Boats Afloat. Photo: Marion Williams.
Narooma’s boating community was dismayed when what remained of the Ringlands Point jetty was demolished in December 2025.
Since 2015 Narooma Boats Afloat Inc (NBA), a not-for-profit group of volunteers, had been advocating to Eurobodalla Shire Council to help them with their proposed modest restoration of the public jetty.
They proposed a gate and fence on the land side so the jetty could be used as part of ‘critical infrastructure’ for the boating and fishing community, including state and local government staff.
In December 2021 they made a submission to council’s discussion paper on its Estuarine Coastal Management Plan (ECMP). The discussion paper had proposed demolishing the jetty. NBA successfully advocated that the jetty’s restoration be part of council’s ECMP.
Council formally adopted the ECMP in October 2022. The Minister for Local Government certified it in March 2023.
In January 2025 however, council staff told NBA that the restoration of the jetty had “no chance” of proceeding given it was not a priority for them and council’s policy of not seeking external funding.
NBA president Graham Peachey pursued the matter when Mark Ferguson was appointed interim general manager. In June 2025 Mr Ferguson and the mayor said they were prepared to help.
Council asked NBA to submit an initial concept design for council to review for compliance and accessibility and said it would assist them with the approval process.
The four piers that were demolished in December 2025. Photo: Eurobodalla Shire Council.
Mr Peachey said the approval process was very complicated as it had to pass through a variety of agencies, and sometimes their budgets, priorities and community obligations conflicted with one another.
Council also asked NBA to source all the funding, adding it would endorse the group’s grant applications.
Council said it would manage the restoration project and maintain the jetty, recognising there was only one licensed operator in the area available to do this.
“Ultimately council required us to secure 100 per cent of the funding and obtain all agency approvals independently, effectively abandoning the project,” Mr Peachey said. “Now council wants to hand over what should be council’s responsibility to a group of community volunteers. They are setting a whole new standard for community engagement.
“Council are the owners so community groups like NBA can’t apply for funding for things that don’t belong to them,” he said.
A council spokesperson said community groups could apply for grants for council-owned infrastructure if it benefited their members. Council’s grants team works with community groups to apply for grants.
NBA member Jim Richards said the licence issued by Crown Lands required council to maintain the jetty.
“Council didn’t maintain it, it fell apart and now it has been demolished,” Mr Peachey said.
The spokesperson said council had not maintained it since 2004. That was partly because council’s allocated marine infrastructure budget, by necessity, focused on high-use, high-value infrastructure. The jetty remnants were a hazard and it was closed in 2013 due to safety concerns. Ministerial approval was not required for its removal.
The spokesperson said the four “derelict” piers were removed on the advice of Marine Parks as they were a potential navigational risk at high tide.
The Narooma Boats Afloat Festival. Photo: Supplied.
Mr Peachey said the jetty was in an ideal position in deep water, some distance from oyster leases, and around midway between the other two jetties on Wagonga Inlet. He said historically, there had been seven jetties and it would be a wonderful asset for the community, for tourism, fishers and boating patrol.
He said they had consulted widely with the fishing club, First Nations people and boat owners and there had been broad support for the modest restoration proposed.
The spokesperson said NBA’s proposal did not meet contemporary standards for safety and environmental impact, particularly given that area has a healthy and expanding community of Posidonia australis – an endangered and declining native seagrass – so environmental permits and, potentially, environmental offsets were required.
“Marine Parks does not support building/rebuilding jetties in this type of environment. Without their approval the project is not viable,” the spokesperson said. “Marine Parks says the remaining Ringlands Jetty pylons have limited habitat value and recommend their removal.
“While council regularly assists community groups to find grant funding for assets benefitting their members, Marine Parks does not support this jetty and there is no longer any point in applying for funding.”
