GOOD NEWS FROM YOUR COMMITTEE
Those frequent users of the Clubs main jetty and pontoons will have noted that we have an aging facility with some sections of the jetty now closing on 60 years old and showing their age.
Over the years Club has endevoured to keep on top of repairs and maintenance, in 2004 six of the original piles were replaced, this was followed by the re-construction of the outer end of the jetty in 2009.
A detailed inspection has been conducted by your Committee, who have concluded that major repairs are warranted to bring the main jetty and pontoons up to a standard where it can be used with confidence and that that ongoing maintenance will be kept to a minimum. These works are the replacement the remaining of the original timber piles and re-construction of the inner railway iron section of the jetty. Along with replacement of steel work on the outer 10 year old pontoons, and realigning their locating piles. The cost of doing these works in a realistic time period, is beyond the resources of the Club and will run to several hundred thousand dollars.
Your Committee is mindful of having secured the rights to hold the Nationals & the World Championships for B14 over the 2017-18 Christmas - New Year break and has therefore decided to apply for a series of grants, to not only secure funding for refurbishment of the jetty and pontoons, but also for the replacement of equipment in the canteen.
To this end we have applied to Hydro Tasmania and Origin Energy for replacement canteen equipment and to MAST, Tasports, West Tamar Council and the Tasmanian Community Fund to assist with the jetty and pontoon works.
A concept plan has been developed involving a renovated jetty, replacement of 17 piles, replacement of the existing walkway, refurbishment of and realignment of the existing pontoons together with the construction of a dedicated public fuel berth and Club controlled short term berthing facility.
The new fuel berth and the existing jetty will be accessible by the boating public from the water and hence are particularly attractive to MAST and the Tasmanian Community Fund for possible funding, because of the public access. As they are being asked to fund the majority of this development along with Tasports, who have been asked to provide their pile driver free of charge (we will supply the piles), there is a requirement for public access. The Club will, of course, retain ownership of the entire facility.
Some back ground on the Clubs on water facilities and access by boating public. It should be noted that in 2010 the Club was the recipient of a MAST grant enabling the replacement of the our underground fuel tanks with the 4000lt above ground diesel tank and upgrading to current standards, the fuel line and fuel bowser. This grant was made on the basis that it was provided to a facility open to the boating public and that we allowed access to our pontoons for refuelling etc.
For the entire history of the Jetty, since the fuel bowser has been in place, the jetty has been accessed by the boating public for fuel purchases, the proposed redevelopment and repairs are aimed at improving the Clubs facility for the Clubs Membership, but also improve access to the only on water fuel sale point on the north coast.
The proposals we are working on and the applications we have submitted, do not alter or change the existing or historic access to the Clubs jetty.
West Tamar Council have been asked to fund the replacement walkway to the existing pontoons, with a new aluminium walk way, of the same style as the Trailer park pontoon and we are pleased to advise they have agreed to commit $20,000 to the project, for which we are very grateful.
We expect to know the outcome of the other grant applications by the end of the financial year at which time we can then confirm, if we have sufficient funds to proceed.
To assist you to understand the project as envisaged by your Committee a copy of the concept plan is below. (An A3 size plan will be posted on Club notice boards upstairs and down). The finished project will give the Club a facility that will have little or low ongoing maintenance and will be able to be extended should the need arise. It will be the best of its kind on the Tamar and the only on water diesel fuel facility in the north of the state.
An update on the damage to the end of the main jetty, the claim with our insurer is progressing well and we should be in a position to start repairs shortly, to get the bowser back in operation.
Your comments and or suggestions are welcome and should be directed to either Commodore Mick Jones or Committee member Glen Cornish.
