The Federal Labor Party will spend $4 million to help bring back the Scarborough to Moreton Island barge

The State Government has not been able to find someone to operate it but that hasn’t stopped the federal Labor Party promising to invest a further $4 million into bringing this Brisbane barge back.

The State and Federal Labor Government plans to spend $8 million to bring a barge service back from Scarborough to Moreton Island.

THE State Government has not been able to find someone to operate a barge from Scarborough to Moreton Island but that has not stopped the Federal Labor Party promising to invest a further $4 million into the project.

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

The Moreton Island barge, the Combie Trader II, stopped operating in July 2008. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Bringing back the barge has been used an election bargaining chip ever since.

The cost of establishing a landing site at Scarborough Marina is what has previously prevented operators from re-establishing the barge service.

In 2017 the state Labor Government promised to put $4 million towards the cost of dredging the site.

It also spent $400,000 on a business case.

State Labor MP for Redcliffe Yvette D’Ath said this money would fund the dredging, landing site and a breakwater wall off the northern arm of the spit at the Scarborough Marina.

In March Mrs D’Ath announced the government had not found an operator to run the barge during the most recent tender process.

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

She said the government had received an expression of interest from a party looking to establish the service, but an official proposal had not yet been received.

Despite the lack of interest from suitable business operators keen to run the barge service the Federal Labor Party has today announced it would chip in a further $4 million towards the project.

It said the money would build “upon the Palaszczuk Government’s existing $4 million commitment towards planning work, the construction of a sea wall and associated roads infrastructure” and “will absolutely help support its overall commercial viability.”