Mosman Council hopes Sydney Lady Class ferries can stay

MOSMAN Council has backed a campaign — supported by the likes of Lavender Bay artist Peter Kingston — to retain Sydney’s last Lady Class ferries on the harbour. TAKE THE POLL

The ladies Northcott and Herron on Sydney Harbour in 2013. Picture: Bradley Hunter

• Ferry campaign launched
• Rally to save lady ferries

MOSMAN Council has backed a community campaign to keep Sydney’s last Lady Class ferries.

Councillors voted during this month’s council meeting for the mayor to request a meeting with the Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Transport Minister Andrew Constance about the retention of the historic ladies Northcott and Herron, including in the state ferry fleet.

The council also supported the mayor asking the NSW Government for a full and proper public consultation, so Mosman residents can be fully informed of the proposed changes to the state ferry fleet, and the publication of the business case for change. The NSW Government has acknowledged the council’s letter.

Lower north shore artists and ferry campaigners Peter Kingston and Alex Beech sketch aboard the Lady Northcott ferry on Sydney Harbour during the Festival of Mosman last Saturday. Picture: Joel Carrett

Mosman’s Freya Boughton started an online petition in June to keep the ladies in service. The petition has more than 3000 supporters so far and has grown into a campaign.

The ladies entered service in the mid to late 1970s and are the oldest vessels in the state fleet. Transport for NSW is yet to confirm when the ladies will cease service, including the popular Circular Quay-Taronga Zoo route, under its $52-million Inner Harbour Ferry project.

Lavender Bay artist Peter Kingston, one of the ferry campaigners, said there was “no will to protect anything good from the past”.

Lavender Bay artist and ferry campaigner Peter Kingston shows his work created aboard the Lady Northcott ferry on Sydney Harbour during the Festival of Mosman last Saturday. Picture: Joel Carrett

Kingston said the plans to decommission the ladies were out of step with the many heritage public transport fleets overseas.

“It just all seems wrong and clumsy and badly thought out,” he said.

Transport for NSW argues the ladies are too costly to maintain and non-compliant with disability access requirements.

A Transport spokesman said the department hoped to retain the ladies on the harbour “in some capacity” and would consider options to do so alongside an expressions of interest process after the vessels are retired.

Visit change.org/p/andrew-constance-mp-save-our-lady-northcott-and-lady-heron-ferries to support the petition to keep the Lady Class ferries.