Ferry timetable plan binned in a win for ‘common sense’
SCRAPPED: A proposal that would remove the direct connection from the Birchgrove, Thames St, Abbotsford, Cabarita, Chiswick, Drummoyne and Sydney Olympic Park wharves to Circular Quay.
Inner West
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Community pressure has forced action from the NSW Government to step in and scrap planned changes to F3 and F8 Sydney Ferries timetables.
Drummoyne MP John Sidoti said he had received confirmation from the office of Transport Minister Andrew Constance today that the proposed Transdev changes to the ferry routes would not be going ahead.
“The announcement comes off the back of a productive week in Parliament where I submitted a Notice of Motion and a Private Members Statement in the Parliament condemning the proposal by Transdev,” he said.
My office was inundated with calls, emails and letters from concerned constituents during “Transdev’s community consultation period. This positive news comes as a direct result of a huge community effort where we all worked together for a shared goal. I have proven many times that I will always place the needs of the people I represent over politics.”
Balmain MP Jamie Parker said: “This is a great win for our local area that demonstrates the power of community action”.
“We had over 1,500 people sign on to our petition to the Minister, a clear sign that this proposal was universally opposed across the network. I’m glad common sense has prevailed and these absurd changes have been abandoned,” he said.
“While the new timetable looked good on paper in terms of service frequency, the devil was in the detail with some commute times doubling and most people travelling from Balmain Wharf being forced to change ferries to get to Circular Quay.
“We desperately need improvements to ferry network but they should never come at the cost of services to Circular Quay and the North Shore. I’ll be encouraging the government to go back to the drawing board and come up with a better solution that delivers more services without taking away the vital cross harbour connection.”
A Transport for NSW spokewoman said Transport for NSW and Transdev Sydney Ferries (TDSF) had sought public feedback over the past three months on plans to add up to 300 more ferry service in the second half of 2021.
She said the planned timetable changes had been designed to respond to customer feedback to increase service frequency and to accommodate the strong growth in demand along the river.
Both the City of Canada Bay and Inner West Councils moved formal motions slamming the proposed ferry timetable changes.
City of Canada Bay Mayor Angelo Tsirekas said the proposed changes would have forced residents to change ferries to travel into the centre of the city but create unnecessary bottlenecks at Balmain East wharf.