• New jetty to support tourism to the Abrolhos Islands officially opened
• Designed for easy boarding and disembarking of passengers from commercial vessels
• Separate plans afoot to develop 34 new public boat pens at Batavia Coast Marina

Premier Roger Cook and Minister for Ports David Michael officially opened the new Eastern Breakwater Tourism Jetty in Geraldton today. 

Dedicated to tourism, the jetty will assist in unlocking access to the pristine Houtman Abrolhos Islands National Park, by providing a facility specifically designed for easy boarding and disembarking of passengers from commercial vessels.

The Eastern Breakwater Jetty construction project was successfully delivered by the Mid West Ports Authority, which will also assume ongoing maintenance and management of the facility as the asset owner.

The jetty is designed to accommodate larger commercial vessels of over 25m, providing passengers with an enhanced experience - with improved access to amenities and closer links with the Geraldton CBD retail precinct.

A local working group, led by the Mid West Development Commission, identified the opportunity to support tourism to the Abrolhos Islands, and other commercial maritime ventures with the construction of the purpose-built jetty. 

The project was funded in 2020 and is part of a broader investment to activate marine tourism around Geraldton and the Abrolhos Islands.

Separately to this venture, the Cook Government is supporting planning for upgrades and additional public boat pens at the Batavia Coast Marina in Geraldton.

The Department of Transport has begun planning and stakeholder consultation for the development of the additional 34 pens.

Comments attributed to Premier Roger Cook:

"The Houtman Abrolhos Islands National Park is a unique and pristine location offering an unparalleled marine experience to our State's visitors.

"The Eastern Breakwater Tourism Jetty is a key component in assisting commercial tourism ventures to unlock access to the Abrolhos Islands.

"My Government is committed to providing quality infrastructure, which improves the experience of our visitors, and subsequently boosts tourism to our State."

Comments attributed to Ports Minister David Michael:

"Alongside Mid West Ports Authority, I am very proud to help deliver the Eastern Breakwater Tourism Jetty - providing a dedicated commercial facility to local tourist operators in the Mid West.

"Congratulations to everyone involved in the development of this quality facility."

Comments attributed to Regional Development Minister Don Punch:

"We want to make tourism in our region as easy and as accessible as possible.

"The Eastern Breakwater Tourism Jetty is a result of a unified local community working together to create an asset which will benefit our State."

Comments attributed to Geraldton MLA Lara Dalton:

"This is an important piece of infrastructure that will help boost Geraldton's growing reputation as a tourist drawcard.

"It's another example of the Cook Government's commitment to the Geraldton community and broadening the town's economic base."