Gold Coast ratepayers to fork out at least $1m for ferry service

Councillors have heard getting a Gold Coast ferry service underway will cost ratepayers a considerable sum, with investment needed in several areas.

RATEPAYERS will need to fork out at least $1 million to start up a ferry service on the Gold Coast.

Councillors at full council today unanimously voted to go to the market and seek expressions of interest from potential ferry operators for a trial.

The successful proponent will be responsible for costs for a trial but council must upgrade a number of its jetties. Other operational costs to council could be $700,000.

A report to council today said the patronage on the ferry service would be between 400 and 700 passengers per day.

With proper marketing, that number could be increased to between 1000 and 1800.

An artist’s impression of a proposed ferry terminal at the southern end of the Broadwater Parklands.

HOW THE GOLD COAST FERRY SERVICE WILL WORK

Speed limits in the Broadwater and on the Nerang River would be unchanged.

Council officers have recommended a five stop network including Sea World, Southport Pier, Marina Mirage, Appel Park at Surfers Paradise and HOTA.

Excluded from the network assessment were Tipplers at South Stradbroke Island, Couran Cove, Wavebreak Island, Doug Jennings Park at The Spit and Metricon Stadium at Carrara.

“These locations were not included within the analysis as they were deemed to be weekend services,” a council report said.

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Council would seek to upgrades jetties at Southport and Appel Park on a 50-50 basis with the Gold Coast Waterways Authority.

Village Roadshow, the managers of Sea World, and management of Sea World had indicated their support for the project and “provided in-principle agreement to provide boating facilities for use during the trial”.

How the ferry terminal at HOTA is expected to look.

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Councillors at full council were told the two-year trial could start on December 1 this year after council sought expressions of interest.

“It is proposed that speed limits in the Broadwater and Nerang River will be unchanged for the commencement of the ferry trial,” a council report said.

All operational costs to deliver the service would be met by the operator with “no service subsidy to be provided by the City”.

Mayor Tom Tate in the chamber strongly supported the trial because it gave residents an alternative transport offering and could reduce congestion on arterial roads.

“To go forward without a budget doesn’t look like we’re serious. It could kill it off,” he said.

Hinterland-based councillor Peter Young congratulated the officers for their report and “doing it in a logical and pragmatic way”.

The report’s recommendations to proceed with going to expressions of interests was unanimously supported by councillors.