Jardine River Ferry breakdown prompts calls for new two-ferry system
Questions are being asked of a local government’s ferry maintenance schedule after an embarrassing failure of the beleaguered Cape York barge just days after hull repairs.
Cairns
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Questions are being asked of a local government’s ferry maintenance schedule after an embarrassing failure of the a beleaguered Cape York barge just days after hull repairs.
The Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council reported back-to-back mechanical failures between Thursday and Saturday on the ferry, just 10 days after a four-week maintenance shutdown.
At one point, a number of cars were left stranded on the ferry, in the middle of the river, however by Saturday it had been repaired to a point of restricted use with a weight limit.
The Bamaga-based local government which services the northern Cape York region including the Tip on Thursday reported a mechanical issue involving a hydraulic pump had caused a breakdown of the service.
“We acknowledge the timing is frustrating, however, it is important to note that this mechanical failure could not have been foreseen or identified during the recent inspections and servicing,” NPARC said via social media.
In subsequent updates the council advised the public specialised parts were required to restore the hydraulic pump which were expected to arrive at the river by Monday.
The breakdown comes as the Cape opened for its peak winter tourist season, temporarily trapping travellers both headed to, and returning from the Tip and nearby destinations including Punsand Bay.
Director of Cape York Motorcycle Adventures Renae Kunda whose business offers guided tours from Cairns to the Tip said the closure was impactful beyond the annual winter tourism cycle.
“That is the access, that ferry is a crucial lifeline for locals and services,” Ms Kunda said.
“We already lost out a month of business when they had their maintenance in May. I’m not sure why in May when you’ve got the whole wet season.
“I’m not an engineer but is there regular maintenance on that ferry? We’re a business and we do weekly maintenance on our bikes and we order in new bikes each year.
“I’m not sure why you wouldn’t already have crucial (replacement) parts for this time of the year, it just makes sense.”
Cook MP David Kempton wasn’t surprised by the high volume of suggestions – responding to the council’s social media updates – calling for a bridge to be built but said he didn’t see a permanent structure was the feasible solution.
“I would encourage and support the council to go to a new two-ferry system,” he said.
“You’ve always got a back-up for maintenance downtime, and the current one is quite old.
“I would support the council in whatever way possible to seek funding for new ferries, I can’t promise anything (from state government), but given the income the ferry earns I can’t imagine they would have issues getting the money.”
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Originally published as Jardine River Ferry breakdown prompts calls for new two-ferry system
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