Ulmarra to Southgate ferry: Community protests closure with speeches from locals, councillors, Clarence MP Richie Williamson

A North Coast community came out in force to protest the potential closure of a ferry at a historic riverport town after the state government said the vessel had “reached the end of its useful life”.

A North Coast community came out in force to protest the potential closure of a ferry which cuts travel distances from 60km to 4km after a recent state government announcement that the vessel had “reached the end of its useful life”.

On Monday people from the Clarence Valley gathered at Ulmarra’s Bailey Park to voice their support for the Ulmarra Southgate ferry service.

The Ulmarra ferry (pictured) has been running for over 100 years.

The service, which has been in operation since the 1890s, connects the two villages which are separated by the Clarence River.

Capable of carrying up to six cars, the ferry is an important free mode of transport for tourists and locals alike as it cuts the return trip between the two towns from 60km to 4km.

Last week, what started as online rumours about the ferry’s potential closure became reality when a Transport for NSW spokesman told The Daily Examiner the current vessel, which has been in operation for more than 70 years, had reached the end of its useful life and could not be used past June 10.

A sign set up before the ferry’s entrance.

At Monday’s protest, outraged locals expressed the view that the ferry was only facing closure because it affected people in regional NSW.

Clarence councillor and Ulmarra resident, Steve Pickering, said the state government “would be building a tunnel” if the ferry was in Sydney.

“It’s not just an Ulmarra icon, it’s an icon of the entire Clarence Valley,” he said.

“We have visitors from around Queensland and NSW come to Ulmarra to use our ferry, we have school kids that use our ferry. We have tradies, we have farmers (who use the ferry).

“(We) can’t have the state government threatening to take away this vital piece of infrastructure … (we’ve) got to come together as a community to fight.”

Clarence locals protesting the potential closure of the Ulmarra ferry.

Ulmarra businesswoman Sue Kearney, who initiated the campaign, said the closure would be “heartbreaking and costly” and urged people to be “passionate … (not) apathetic” about the cause.

“The Ulmarra Ferry is a vital part of the local community, which is primarily a farming and tourism community,” she said.

Di Leask feared people were unaware of how the ferry’s closure would ripple through the community.

“The little bit of services we’ve got we need … (and) there’s been no community consultation,” she said.

“I think a lot of the time city people have no idea of the distances we have to travel,” she added, giving the example of her elderly parents who rely on the ferry to continue living independently.

Angela Barnier, a local business owner, also said she was worried about how a possible closure could affect her husband, who is a farmer, as he would have to travel through Grafton and on main roads at a slow pace, which could aggravate “impatient” drivers.

Farmers protesting the ferry’s possible closure.

Mr Williamson said he had already pressed the case with the Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, but needed people power by way of a petition to hand into the government.

“Time is of the essence,” he said.

“This is going to be somewhat of a fight but we are up to it … the government needs to understand how important this is to us.”

Other attendees at the petition launch included Shadow Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Dave Layzell, Councillor Allison Whaites and former State MP Steve Cansdell.

It is understood the service costs approximately $800,000 a year to operate and it carries, on average, one car per trip, costing taxpayers $22 for each journey.

The ferry has also seen less use in recent years, with patronage dropping 46 per cent since the opening of Grafton’s Balun Bindarray Bridge in late 2019.