Bruny Island Ferry: Hours-long queues mar island tourism, says ALP

UPDATED: The Bruny Island ferry’s new winter timetable has been called into question with local residents facing long waits every afternoon – not just on the long weekend.

UPDATED: Bruny Island residents have expressed frustration at continued long delays for the ferries to access – or leave – the island.

Tash Daniels said the introduction of the winter timetable had resulted in waits of over an hour to get off the island in the afternoon.

“[It’s] not just the long weekend,” she said.

“Sealink need to realise that tourists don’t stop coming because the calendar has turned to June.

“Yes we can say it is to be expected on long weekends and holidays but the fact that on normal weekdays they are not keeping up is not good enough.

“It is difficult for those that live on Bruny or run businesses and have no choice on when we travel sometimes.”

Ms Daniels said the delays were resulting in residents missing appointments and their children were missing music and sports lessons.

“How early do I pull my children out of school to make it to the ferry in time to get to commitments?” she said.

“We are happy to catch the ferry and even turn up early or have a moderate wait but when this is a constant problem it is just not good enough.”

Her husband Conrad, who runs a small business on the island, said the new ferry timetable of every half an hour in the morning but only every hour in the afternoon did not make any sense.

“So far this week it has proven to not work,” he said.

“Cars are left behind because the capacity of one ferry run every hour is too small for the demand in the afternoon.

“I would have thought that if there is a need to run the ferry on a 30-minute service in the morning, then there would be the same demand in the afternoon.”

Ms Daniels also expressed doubts that a booking system would help solve the access problems facing residents.

“I also don’t see how a booking system would help this if the tourists have already booked it out and we are not able to book the times we need to travel,” she said.

“The only answer is to run 30-minute ferries from both sides and have a consistent service.”

Residents say the Bruny Island Ferry’s winter timetable is unsuitable for the volume of traffic needing to use the service. Picture: EDDIE SAFARIK

EARLIER: THE return of long queues for the Bruny Island ferry a year after new operators were appointed showed that the government-run tender process had failed to lift capacity, Opposition infrastructure spokesman David O’Byrne says.

The combination of a long weekend and a music festival on the island has saw long waits for the ferry on Saturday morning — and the expectation of a repeat on the return journeys tonight.

Mr O’Byrne said the new operator was supposed to improve capacity on the service.

“When they announced the new tender it was an opportunity to increase capacity and increase the service and support to the island so you avoid queuing and not only locals but tourists alike can get on and off the island efficiently.

“But unfortunately what we’ve seen is chaos.”

“There was a real opportunity to build capacity and now we have chaotic delivery of ferry services.”

There have been long queues for the Bruny Island Ferry. Picture: EDDIE SAFARIK

Award-winning tourism operator Rob Pennicott says he was again losing business because of the ferry since the winter timetable began.

He said he lost a lot of business during summer and now the problem had returned.

“We’ve had problems with the ferry, with guests getting to us who had already booked,” he said. “A number have had to cancel because of their inability to get onto the island.

“On Saturday we had some of our guests getting into the ferry queue at twenty past nine and not being able to get across to the island until just before one o’clock.

“For this time of the year it’s very disappointing because I’m only one business and there’s no doubt all the businesses will be suffering.”

Labor MP David O'Byrne speaks to the media. Picture: DAVID KILLICK

Mr O’Byrne said the replacement of the current vessels with two new smaller vehicle ferries would not help matters.

“When you look at the capacity of the two new vessels and when they eventually will be delivered — they’re years away and the capacity is absolutely reduced.

Comment was being sought from ferry operator Sealink.