By JOLENE OGLE
IT HAS taken 20 years and a “long and arduous” journey, but Kevin Driscoll finally has the paperwork to prove he and wife Vicki own the jetty at the corner of William Street and Gympie Terrace.
“It’s been a very long journey and one we shouldn’t have had to take,” Mr Driscoll said.
“It’s been a financial strain for my wife and I, throughout the battle, but we are now finally recognised as the owners of the jetty.”
Mr Driscoll’s plight to prove ownership of the jetty he and his wife bought in 1993 made national headlines last year when he chained himself to a makeshift platform on the jetty in protest.
“It needed to be brought to a head, and this was the best way,” he said.
At the time of the protest, Mr Driscoll said Noosa Council was to blame for the jetty’s deterioration due to a lack of maintenance of the adjacent footpath, a claim he stands by today.
Mr Driscoll said the sliding footpath shifted towards the jetty and led to the pylons being damaged and then when Cyclone Oswald came through in 2013, “the jetty never stood a chance.”
More than ten months after Mr Driscoll chained himself to the jetty, the Driscolls received a letter from the department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP) stating the Driscolls were free to re-build their jetty.
“When we got the letter, we didn’t know which way it was going to go,” he said.
“I was thinking about what I would do if the answer was no… we would have to start our fight all over again.
“Luckily, thanks to thorough research from the EHP staff, we now have records to prove we own the jetty.”
Mr Driscoll said he also owes the win to the local people who supported his protest, from beeping in support as they drove past to bringing food when the weather was cold.
“I want to thank the people of Noosa who have supported us in our fight,” he said.
“We couldn’t have done it without knowing we had the support of our local Noosa community.”
But the fight isn’t over yet, with Mr Driscoll now working with Noosa Council to have the footpath and damaged pylons repaired before work can begin on the new jetty.
A Noosa Council spokesperson said council has always been responsible for the repair of the footpath and planning works for the repairs are currently in progress and in “liaison with Mr Driscoll”.
Council couldn’t confirm whether there are plans to raise the footpath a metre high, which Mr Driscoll said would isolate the jetty.
“Final design details are awaiting finalisation,” the spokesperson said.
“Council is undertaking discussions directly with Mr Driscoll in relation to a solution to the current damaged footpath and association areas.
“We are awaiting his proposed options to be sent to the CEO of council.”
Mr Driscoll said he has met with council and received options for a solution to the repair of the footpath, but believes council should also be responsible for the repair of the pylons.
