The First Fleet ferries race on Sydney Harbour on Australia Day. Credit Rick Rycroft
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First Fleet ferries entered service on Sydney Harbour in the 1980s. Fishburn ferry passing Sydney Opera House. Credit James Brickwood
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Manly ferries often battle massive swells when crossing the Heads of Sydney Harbour though rarely cancelled. Credit James Alcock
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Ferry U-turn: First Fleet vessels now set for upgrade in plan reversal
By Matt O'Sullivan
May 5, 2019
The state government has ditched plans to retire Sydney's nine First Fleet ferries, instead deciding to upgrade them and extend their working life for at least another decade. The First Fleet vessels – perhaps best known for their Australia Day race on Sydney Harbour – will each undergo a $1.3 million refit, including work to improve passenger accessibility.
The decision to upgrade the First Fleet ferries is a U-turn on the strategy detailed in internal government documents obtained by the Herald under freedom-of-information laws. They reveal a four-stage "ferry fleet replacement" plan 18 months ago was to retire the First Fleet ferries as part of "tranche three", as well as seven RiverCat and two HarbourCat vessels.
The documents reveal that the "full replacement" of the large Freshwater-class ferries, which ply the popular Manly-Circular Quay route, has been on the drawing board since at least late 2017, despite internal plans for their future becoming public only last month.
The cost of refitting the First Fleet vessels, which began plying the harbour in the 1980s, has been estimated by Transport for NSW at about $1.3 million each. In comparison, internal figures leaked from the agency have estimated the cost of replacing the First Fleet ferries, seven RiverCat vessels and two HarbourCats at about $120 million. In response to questions, Transport for NSW said the strategy in the documents in late 2017 had been "superseded" and planning was underway to upgrade the First Fleet vessels.
"This is expected to add another 10 years to the life of these vessels, extending their service well into the 2030s," it said in a statement. "The upgrade will include improvements to their accessibility through the installation of technology such as hearing loops." The agency said "no decision" had been made on the future of the four Freshwater-class ferries or the seven RiverCats. The latter form the backbone of Parramatta River services.
The future of the Freshwater-class ferries which ply the Manly-Circular Quay route remains uncertain.
By Matt O'Sullivan, the Transport Reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.
© Arthur Phillip Chapter of Fellowship of First Fleeters 2019-
Images from the internet
By Matt O'Sullivan
May 5, 2019
The state government has ditched plans to retire Sydney's nine First Fleet ferries, instead deciding to upgrade them and extend their working life for at least another decade. The First Fleet vessels – perhaps best known for their Australia Day race on Sydney Harbour – will each undergo a $1.3 million refit, including work to improve passenger accessibility.
The decision to upgrade the First Fleet ferries is a U-turn on the strategy detailed in internal government documents obtained by the Herald under freedom-of-information laws. They reveal a four-stage "ferry fleet replacement" plan 18 months ago was to retire the First Fleet ferries as part of "tranche three", as well as seven RiverCat and two HarbourCat vessels.
The documents reveal that the "full replacement" of the large Freshwater-class ferries, which ply the popular Manly-Circular Quay route, has been on the drawing board since at least late 2017, despite internal plans for their future becoming public only last month.
The cost of refitting the First Fleet vessels, which began plying the harbour in the 1980s, has been estimated by Transport for NSW at about $1.3 million each. In comparison, internal figures leaked from the agency have estimated the cost of replacing the First Fleet ferries, seven RiverCat vessels and two HarbourCats at about $120 million. In response to questions, Transport for NSW said the strategy in the documents in late 2017 had been "superseded" and planning was underway to upgrade the First Fleet vessels.
"This is expected to add another 10 years to the life of these vessels, extending their service well into the 2030s," it said in a statement. "The upgrade will include improvements to their accessibility through the installation of technology such as hearing loops." The agency said "no decision" had been made on the future of the four Freshwater-class ferries or the seven RiverCats. The latter form the backbone of Parramatta River services.
The future of the Freshwater-class ferries which ply the Manly-Circular Quay route remains uncertain.
By Matt O'Sullivan, the Transport Reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.
© Arthur Phillip Chapter of Fellowship of First Fleeters 2019-
Images from the internet
