newy.com.au – Catherine Hill Bay’s disused coal-loading jetty will be demolished after the NSW Government ruled it could not be safely or practically retained, despite strong community support for preserving at least part of the structure.
The decision was announced to the community on July 30 after engineering firm BG&E investigated whether a section of the jetty could remain standing. The government said the only structurally workable retention option would cost an estimated $38.36 million, compared with about $11.09 million to demolish the structure in its current condition.
The finding brings an end to hopes the prominent Lake Macquarie landmark could be preserved over the water. During consultation conducted between September and October last year, 81 per cent of 224 survey respondents supported retaining or restoring the jetty in some form. Ninety-three per cent wanted its history commemorated.
Further investigations were undertaken between October 2025 and July this year in response to that feedback. Engineers examined three partial-retention options, including arrangements that would have removed the landward section while leaving some piles, steelwork or bracing in the ocean.
While one option was considered structurally possible, the government determined it was not viable when ongoing maintenance, public access, boating safety, environmental risks and future demolition costs were taken into account.
Inspections identified large cracks and voids in concrete, extensive corrosion and bracing that had failed or fallen from the structure. Cameras lowered into the piles also found bitumen oil containing heavy hydrocarbons at varying levels, which the government says could pose an environmental risk if the jetty were allowed to deteriorate further.
The concrete and steel jetty was built in 1974, replacing an earlier timber structure associated with Catherine Hill Bay’s coal industry. The bay had provided shipping access to local collieries from the early 1870s, while mining operations continued until 2003.
Regular maintenance had ceased by 2009 and the jetty was further damaged by fire in 2013. The mining lease expired in 2017 before its former holder disclaimed its liabilities in 2019, leaving the NSW Government responsible for the structure. The government says it now holds a security deposit intended for the jetty’s removal.
More than $500,000 has since been spent on assessments and risk controls, including removing loose beams, bracing, handrails and other steelwork at risk of falling. Access restrictions and monitoring have also been upgraded.
Demolition will not begin immediately. Planning approvals, technical studies, the selection of a removal method and contractor procurement are expected to take at least 12 to 18 months.
The jetty is listed as a local heritage item under the Lake Macquarie Local Environmental Plan, although it is excluded from the state-significant Catherine Hill Bay Cultural Precinct. Heritage, Aboriginal cultural heritage and aquatic biodiversity assessments will be required before work proceeds.
The government says it will consult residents on a permanent commemoration and investigate whether sound, uncontaminated parts of the structure can be reused in memorials or public art. Temporary restrictions affecting the beach, foreshore, traffic and parking are also possible during the demolition, with details to be provided once a construction method is settled.
