Work has begun to replace the dilapidated Belmont Street jetty on Swansea Channel with an upgraded structure set to be installed in coming months.
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The $634,000 project, which has been jointly funded by Lake Macquarie City Council and Transport for NSW, commenced earlier this week and is expected to take about three months to complete.
The existing jetty has been fenced off more than 18 months after falling into disrepair. It is usually popular with visitors to the area given its proximity to the picturesque channel waters and nearby shops.
But the existing fixed structure at times proved difficult for Lake Macquarie boaters to use due to the large tidal range experienced in Swansea Channel.
The upgrade will provide boaters with the option of embarking and disembarking a vessel using either a floating pontoon or a fixed jetty structure and will allow a variety of vessel sizes to safely use the facility.
The new structure will include fender piles, a fixed deck built out from the existing seawall, and a gangway to a floating pontoon, which will ensure access to the facility is available at a safe height for all tides.
"This new jetty will greatly improve access to our lake, and will allow boaters to berth their vessels while they access Swansea's foreshore and commercial district," Swansea MP Yasmin Catley said.
"It will also improve the foreshore precinct at Swansea and I look forward to seeing the jetty open to the community early next year."
The NSW government funding was provided through Transport for NSW's Boating Now program.
Other Lake Macquarie projects to have been funded through the program include the Speers Point and Wangi Wangi jetties which opened earlier this year.
"Council, in partnership with the state government, has helped to deliver fourteen boating-related projects across the city in the past few years," Lake Macquarie mayor Kay Fraser said.
"Boating is a key driver of tourism in this area, and is vital to our community, so I am pleased to see another project that will enhance the city's offering to boaters."
The council also received funding to install at pontoon at the Balcolyn boat ramp.
The Boating Now program is funded from boat licence and registration fees, which are reinvested into initiatives that improve boating for local communities.
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