Still no closer to a barge from Scarborough to Moreton Island

Plans to reinstate a barge service from a marina north of Brisbane to Moreton Island are once again dead in the water but the State Government says it might have a back-up option.

The state government is still working to secure an operator for the barge from Scarborough to Moreton Island. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Plans to reinstate a barge service from a marina north of Brisbane to Moreton Island are once again dead in the water but the State Government says it might have a back up option.

Currently residents in the Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast regions need to travel to the Port of Brisbane for a ferry to Moreton Island’s Tangalooma, or Victoria Point for access to Kooringal on the southern tip of the island.

State Labor MP for Redcliffe Yvette D'Ath examines the map for the barge to Moreton Island landing site. Photo Erin Smith.

The former barge service from Scarborough, the Combie Trader II, stopped operation in July 2008.

State Labor MP for Redcliffe Yvette D’Ath promised, in November 2017, that if Labor was re-elected, it would spend $4 million building a barge landing sight at Scarborough boat harbour.

The cost of establishing a landing site it what has previously prevented operators from re-establishing the barge service.

The state government also spent $400,000 on a business case study for the proposal.

A tender process for a business or person interested in operating the barge from Scarborough to Moreton Island opened in July last year.

“Unfortunately, the original tender process did not identify a suitable proponent,” Mrs D’Ath said.

“However, the Queensland Government has recently received new interest from a party looking to establish a barge service to connect to Moreton Island.

“In light of this, the government is in preliminary discussions with the interested party and has requested further information about the proposal.

“Once the proposal is received, it will be assessed by government officers to ensure the suitability of the proponent and proposal.”

Mrs D’Ath said the project would not be able to go ahead without a business willing to run it as a commercial enterprise.

“We will see what comes of this proposal, but I am pleased to say that, although the original tender process did not reap benefits, there is a new interested party and those discussions are ongoing,” she said.

Mrs D’Ath did not say when a decision was expected to be made.