I was lucky to be born in Wallaroo in 1965 because it is a great town. The Wallaroo I grew up in was a busy industrial town with wonderful beaches and foreshore attractions. The best attraction without doubt for the kids of Wallaroo, locals in the region and visitors was the swimming jetty. People came from far and wide for swimming lessons, recreation and exercise.
The old swimming jetty was a social hub for kids, and a place of adventure where you were outdoors, exercising and developing skills while having a great time. These experiences have been lost since the old jetty was destroyed.
I can appreciate the fabric of Wallaroo has changed and many people who live in the region today might not have the same attachment and passion for the old swimming jetty, and might not know how it benefited the community. This may be the case with councillors too. New residents and councillors should listen to the people who have lived their whole lives in Wallaroo, who have seen decades of wonderful aquatic experiences and want to see future community benefits from a new swimming jetty.
It’s been a long, difficult process to provide a foreshore attraction to replace the swimming jetty. But no facility can match a swimming jetty.
I and hundreds of petition signatories ask the council to leave the past few years behind, be brave and bold enough to do the right thing and give the Copper Coast community an attraction and facility that will be there as a benefit for numerous generations of the future.
Ian C. Shields, Buderim, Queensland
