Jetty Repairs FAQ — Central Coast

It depends on the work, so check with Central Coast Council first. If an application goes in to alter or replace a Brisbane Water jetty, Chapter 2.12 of the Central Coast DCP 2022 applies. An old solid-fill jetty has to be rebuilt on piers with the fill removed, unless it is a heritage item. Under the chapter's shared-jetty clauses, a rebuild or replacement needs an agreement for adjoining owners to share use and responsibility equally, and approval may be refused where sharing a neighbour's jetty is practical. Some foreshores are marked 'No Private Jetties' on the DCP's Figure 1 map, and private jetties may not be permitted there. These clauses cover Brisbane Water, not Hawkesbury River foreshores.

There is no set price. Pile cost depends on length, the pile material, what the pile is driven into and how the site is reached, and piles set into rock cost more again. On Brisbane Water, a job that goes to Council is checked against the DCP: piles at least 3 m apart, a deck at least 750 mm above mean high water and a width of 900 mm to 1.2 m. The DCP's Brisbane Water section also requires an old solid-fill jetty being replaced to be rebuilt on piers with the fill removed, unless it is a heritage item. Ask for the pile count, pile material and any fill removal to be listed so quotes can be compared.

A 2006 seagrass study for the former Gosford council found Brisbane Water lost 43 to 47 per cent of its Posidonia australis between 1981 and 2005, with the largest losses in Woy Woy Bay, Rileys Bay, Cockle Bay and at Lobster Beach. NSW DPIRD mapping from October 2019 imagery shows about 262 hectares of Posidonia in Brisbane Water. The Commonwealth lists Brisbane Water among the estuaries of the endangered Posidonia australis meadows community, and its guidance recommends mesh decking on jetties so light reaches the seagrass. If you are re-decking, raise it with the tradesperson when they quote.

It depends on the scope of work, whether Council approval is needed, and the tide, since work on piles and bracing is easier at low water. The tide is not the same across Brisbane Water. At Ettalong the mean tidal range is 0.722 m and the highest astronomical tide 0.99 m AHD. Further in at Koolewong they drop to 0.505 m and 0.78 m AHD. Those figures are from Manly Hydraulics Laboratory's NSW Tidal Planes Analysis 2001 to 2020. Low-tide working windows, and how much pile shows between tides, differ between Ettalong and Koolewong. Ask the tradesperson for a timeframe when they quote.

Often it can. If the floats have taken on water or broken down, we remove the old floats and fit new enclosed polyethylene or EPS modules. Where there is land access, a pontoon can usually be floated in or lifted out from the bank, the floats swapped on dry ground and the pontoon put back. Where there is no land access, we work from the water, which changes how we plan the lift and how long it takes. While the pontoon is lifted, the guide-pile rollers, gangway hinges and mooring connections are worth checking as well. The cost depends mostly on how many float modules your pontoon needs. In your enquiry, describe the pontoon, how low it sits in the water, roughly how old it is and whether we can get to it from the shore.

Some home policies cover storm and flood damage to a private jetty and some exclude it. Look in your Product Disclosure Statement under 'waterfront structures' or 'wharves' before you lodge anything. Council's requirement is a separate thing. Clause 2.12.2.5 of the Central Coast DCP 2022 requires an owner, before a jetty is built on Brisbane Water, to create a positive covenant on their land to keep public liability insurance for the life of the structure and keep the structure in a safe condition at all times. If these are not met, the covenant says the structure is to be removed. If you are claiming, ask whether the quote can be set out for your insurer.