New preferred site chosen for Sandy Bay Derwent Ferry terminal after Wrest Point option binned
The preferred site for a new Derwent Ferry terminal at Sandy Bay has been abandoned after opposition from Federal Group, forcing Hobart City Council to select an alternative location.
Tasmania
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A ferry terminal proposed for Wrest Point as part of an expanded public transport offering on the Derwent River will no longer go ahead after Federal Group opposed the idea, forcing the Hobart City Council to instead shift its focus to a new Sandy Bay site.
Since the Derwent Ferry launched in a trial capacity in 2021, carrying people between Brooke St Pier and Bellerive, more than 200,000 passengers have used the service and the Rockliff government has made it permanent.
The success of the project has led the state and Commonwealth governments to commit funding to an expansion, earmarking six new terminal locations along the river, including Sandy Bay, Wilkinsons Point, Lindisfarne, Regatta Point, Geilston Bay, and Kingston Beach.
The Liberals have pledged $40m to both upgrade facilities at Bellerive and operate the service, as well as develop infrastructure to support the planned expansion. Federal Labor, meanwhile, has promised $20m for the project.
While the four Greater Hobart councils will not be directly investing in the service, a condition of the federal funding is that they own and maintain the terminals in their respective municipalities for a minimum of five years
At the Hobart City Council’s Monday meeting, elected members will vote on whether to approve a revised plan to establish a terminal at Lords Beach in Sandy Bay, instead of at the original preferred site of Wrest Point.
It comes after Federal Group, which owns and operates Wrest Point Hotel Casino, expressed opposition to the development going ahead there, following a “respectful” meeting between Hobart City Council CEO Michael Stretton and the owners of the property.
A Federal Group spokesman said the company’s customers were its “priority”.
“We were concerned our customer parking would become a ‘park and ride’ facility for city commuters, disadvantaging our customers,” he said.
‘There were other workable alternatives [for the ferry terminal].”
Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said a new commuter ferry service to Sandy Bay would make life easier for students, local residents, and tourists alike.
“This will be such an exciting new transport option and will help reduce the congestion on our roads,” she said.
“By building these terminals the Greater Hobart councils are playing a proactive and practical role in increasing public transport choices for Hobart residents.”
Lords Beach is located just to the south-east of Wrest Point and if councillors approve the site, permits will be sought to build the terminal at the beach, designs finalised, and contractors engaged for construction, subject to consultation with nearby property owners.
In August, the Clarence City Council agreed on a new preferred site for a new ferry terminal at Natone St, Lindisfarne after safety concerns were raised regarding a proposal to build the facilities at the Lindisfarne Sailing Club.
Wilkinsons Point, where MyState Bank Arena is located, is the next priority for the ferry service expansion, before sites at Regatta Point, Geilston Bay, and Kingston Beach are investigated.
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