Fundraising to save jetty begins
A community campaign to raise money to save a Banks Peninsula jetty is about to get under way.
About 1500 planks are up for grabs as the Governors Bay Jetty Restoration Trust launches a major fundraising campaign.
Each plank can be purchased for $500 and in return people can have their name or a short message engraved on a marine-grade stainless steel plaque fixed to the plank.
The trust, which is made up of volunteers, needs to raise close to
$3 million to rebuild the historic
300 metre-long jetty. The popular jetty has been closed since it sustained damage in the February
2011 earthquake.
The Christchurch City Council sold the jetty to the trust last year for $1 after saying repairing the jetty was not in its 10-year plan. The trust planned to sell the jetty back to the council for $1 once the restoration was complete.
The trust was now involved in the design stage and hoped building would start next year.
Trust deputy chairman Nick Dugan said if the group was able to raise $750,000 from plank sponsorship it would bring the total raised to $1.35m, including a $538,000 grant allocated in the council’s long-term plan.
He said the trust would apply to various funding agencies, but in many cases the agencies needed the group to have already raised a certain amount of money.
Trust chairman Simon Mortlock said the group was looking to reduce the $3m project cost by using reclaimed materials and volunteer work where possible. Pre-construction costs were being kept to a minimum as professionals had donated many hours to the project.
‘‘Of course every dollar counts. Even the smallest donation will be rewarded by being able to one day walk along this historic jetty knowing that you helped save it.’’
The jetty, which is the same length as the New Brighton Pier, dates back to 1874 when twicedaily steam launches ran from Lyttelton to Governors Bay.