Article
Extra Berths for Bruny Ferry Terminals
“The multi-million dollar upgrade to the ferry terminals will provide much better traffic management for vehicles and the ferries, and more orderly and safer boarding,” said Minister for Infrastructure Michael Ferguson.
Final designs have now been released for construction of a second ferry berth, with dual-lane loading ramps at both the Kettering and Roberts Point ferry terminals. This will take the number of berths on the crossing from two to four.
“The duplicated berths will allow for increased ferry crossing capacity and will be serviced by two new ferries recently procured by SeaLink,” explained the minister.
The existing road will be extended to the new berth and directional line marking will be added to both terminals to reduce queuing and improve pedestrian safety. The addition of Berth 2 will allow routine maintenance to be carried out on either berth without interruption to the ferry service.
Construction is expected to start in spring 2020, and be completed by March 2021. Project management seeks to avoid disrupting the current ferry service, and keeping the emergency vessel berth located at Roberts Point in service at all times.
Shadow Treasurer David O’Byrne said the decision to upgrade the ferry terminal shows the tender process for the ferry service has failed.
“When the government invited tenders for the Bruny Island ferry service, it stipulated that the successful tenderer must be able to operate an efficient service with the existing infrastructure,” he said.
“And yet, here we are today with the Infrastructure Minister announcing a multi-million dollar upgrade to the ferry terminals in a desperate attempt to reduce queues and congestion. This upgrade is an acknowledgement that the successful tenderers cannot fulfil their part of the original bargain.”
He said the Bruny Island ferry has been ‘dogged by delays’ and long waiting times, affecting residents, shack users, tourists and industries on the island.
“Now we have new vessels that are too small to do the job and need millions of dollars in upgrades in an attempt to make the service work,” O’Byrne said. ““Islanders and others using the ferry service deserve better and so do Tasmanian taxpayers.”
