Port Macquarie Hastings Council's (PMHC) plea to the NSW Government to take over management of its two Hastings River ferry services has been denied.
In April this year, PMHC CEO Dr Clare Allen wrote to the NSW Regional Roads and Transport Minister, Jenny Aitchison, requesting the NSW Government consider a proposal to manage the Hibbard and Settlement Point services after learning the Lower Portland Ferry on the Hawkesbury River was taken over in the same month.
Now, PMHC is one of the few councils left in NSW that runs ferry services. The Hastings River ferry services operate at a loss more than $1.3 million annually. In addition to this, the capital cost to replace the ferries periodically is more than $6 million per ferry.
Dr Allen said there is clear inequity in how vehicular ferry services are provided across the state.
"We have written back to the Minister to express our disappointment over this decision," Dr Allen said.
"In December 2023 we sat down with the Minister to plead our case, which was then followed through with a letter in April after hearing that the Lower Portland Ferry service on the Hawksbury River was under threat of being withdrawn from service. This sprung the NSW Government into action who stepped in to support.
"We need the same to happen here. It is simply proving financially unsustainable to maintain the Hibbard and Settlement Point services, which are essential transport routes for residents on the North Shore. Without them, there are no other suitable transport options for residents but to drive an almost 3-hour round trip to get to and from their destination.
President of the North Side Progress Association, Kerry Fox, supported PMHC's position, citing that it was fundamental to the livelihoods of North Shore residents that it remain viable and operational.
"The North Side Progress Association stands together with the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council in their mission to seek NSW Government intervention and financial support is necessary to offset the increasing ferry operating costs of this critical service and the burden the service cost provides on our broader community," she said.
In her letter back to Minister Aitchison, Dr Allen urged the NSW Government to reconsider its position.
"We are asking that Minister Aitchison consider a proposal to provide a financial contribution of between $500,000 - $800,000 per year, indexed for CPI, towards the annual operational costs of both ferries," she said.
"I understand that this is on par with the NSW Government's contributions made towards the single Lower Portland Ferry in 2020.
"We believe this is a fair and equitable request and we look forward to working with Minister Aitchison and the NSW Government on finding a suitable solution to maintain these vital community transport services."
