Approaching the second anniversary of the new Granite Island Causeway, many people remain in the dark about distribution of the timber from the old facility, raising questions on social media.

The Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) had assessed its condition and determined that retaining the old structure was not viable.

The $43 million project opened to pedestrians on Wednesday 22 December 2021, with the horse drawn tram resuming service early in 2022. 

Sections of the old Causeway were retained and reconstructed as viewing platforms, which were opened to the public in late 2022.

Local groups were invited to submit expressions of interest to repurpose the remaining timber, which closed on 9 December 2022.

DIT has stored some of the remaining timber to use on jetties in the future and has given some to Alexandrina and Victor Harbor councils for use on local projects.

These include reconstruction of the Currency Creek bridge and fencing for the Horse Tram Authority.

DIT issued a ‘timbers update’ statement in November, saying the community has previously been notified that testing of the timber has identified elements, including bitumen and lead paint, which were historically used to treat timber to prolong its life. 

“While there are no safety concerns associated with public use of the former Causeway or the new viewing platforms, the remaining timber removed from the old Causeway is currently unsuitable for distribution to individuals. 

“The two councils were deemed suitable candidates for allocation as they are familiar with the safe use of timber and as required, depending on the intended use, would arrange and fund professional blast cleaning and resizing at a commercial facility and subsequent waste disposal.”

The City of Victor Harbor has since issued its own statement on the timber to clarify the issue for locals, saying it continues to liaise closely with DIT to determine the best use of it for the benefit of the community.