Busselton Jetty tickets could soar to $100 if Australian Marine Discovery Centre plans shelved

Tickets to the Busselton Jetty’s award-winning Underwater Observatory could soar up to $100 per person if a solution isn’t found to the cost blowout of its multimillion-dollar new attraction. Last month Busselton Jetty Inc revealed the upcoming Australian Underwater Discovery Centre had been the latest victim of the pandemic construction storm, as the forecasted budget grew by 50 per cent. It is understood the project was originally on track with the $32 million budget in September, however had blown out to more than $49m by the Jetty’s annual general meeting in October. The price surge would mean an adult ticket to the jetty’s existing observatory would have to increase to $80-$100 to cover the cost — an expense chief executive Lisa Shreeve said was “not feasible”. Ms Shreeve said while the future was still uncertain, promising leads had emerged. “It does look uncertain; however, we have several options that the BJI board is reviewing and the board has delayed a final decision to April 2022 while these are fully investigated,” she said. “The project is critical for the Busselton community as essentially 25 per cent of ticket sales from tourists pays for the majority of the maintenance of the Jetty; without the AUDC increasing ticket sales threefold, increased costs will fall back to the ratepayer. “The only other option is Underwater Observatory tickets, currently $34 per adult, would need to increase to about $80-$100 per adult, which is not feasible.” According to Ms Shreeve solutions could include scaling back plans and eliminating the food and beverage village component. The construction price hike came as contractors Subcon reported a 63 per cent increase in steel, concrete and materials costs, a 40 per cent increase in labour costs and a 280 per cent increase in shipping costs.