 |
|
|---|---|
| Sydney Ferries | |
| Overview | |
| Mode | Ferry |
| Owner | NSW Government |
| Area | Sydney Woollahra Waverley Manly Mosman North Sydney Hunters Hill Ryde Parramatta Canada Bay Leichhardt |
| Business | |
| Key People | Rear Admiral Geoffrey Smith (CEO) |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Operations | |
| Fleet | 31 vessels |
| Network | 37 km |
| Wharves | 38 |
| Public transport | | |
Sydney Ferries Corporation (more commonly known as Sydney Ferries) is a state owned corporation of the New South Wales Government providing commuter ferry services on Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River in Sydney, Australia. See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution which dates from 1856 although it has been amended many times since then Sydney and its surrounding regions is served by an extensive network of public transport services The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution which dates from 1856 although it has been amended many times since then See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney Australia The Parramatta River is a waterway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics.
Sydney Ferries describes itself as "at the heart of Sydney and its transport network. " (AR 5) The network, stretching from Manly in the east to Parramatta in the west. Manly is a Suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Parramatta Ferry Wharf is the commuter Wharf serving the city of Parramatta in Sydney Australia. Patronage is shared on an almost equal basis between commuters and tourists, with around 48% of total patronage commuter travel and 46% leisure travel.
The ferry's iconic status derives in part from Sydney's self-image as a harbour city. Despite being a relatively minor part of the city's public transport network, it plays an important part within the city's tourism industry. In recent years, the service has faced criticism that it is both too costly to taxpayers and poorly resourced for commuters.
Contents |
History
Sydney Ferries started life as a private sector company. In 1861, the North Shore Ferry Company was formed operating a ferry service across Sydney Harbour. The company was restructured and the name was changed to the North Shore Ferry Company in 1878. In 1899, after a series of mergers, the company was renamed Sydney Ferries Limited. At one point, Sydney Ferries Limited was the largest operator of Ferries on the world. [1]
In 1951 Sydney Ferries Limited was facing financial difficulties and on 1 July 1951 the company was acquired by the New South Wales Government.
Meanwhile, up until 1972 the Manly ferry service had been operated independently by the Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company, a publicly listed company on the Sydney Stock Exchange. The once famous Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company was a publicly listed company that operated the iconic Manly ferries in Sydney Australia The Australian Securities Exchange ( ASX) is the primary Stock exchange in Australia. On 19 April 1972, the Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company was acquired by Brambles Industries Limited. Brambles Limited is a support services business which with effect from 27 November 2006 has a primary listing on the Australian Securities Exchange and [2]
Following a threat by Brambles to reduce the Manly ferry services, the NSW Government arranged for the Public Transport Commission to take over the service as from 1 December 1974. [3] The Public Transport Commission later became the Urban Transit Authority of New South Wales and then the State Transit Authority. The State Transit Authority of New South Wales (STA is an agency of the Government of New South Wales based in Sydney, Australia operating bus and In 2004 the Sydney Ferries Corporation was formed out of the State Transit Authority.
Operations
As of 2004, Sydney Ferries is a nominally independent corporation whose 'shareholders' are the treasurer Michael Costa and the finance minister John Watkins. Michael Costa may refer to Michael Costa (politician, Australian politician Michael Costa (conductor, Italian-born conductor and composer John Arthur Watkins (born December 7, 1955) is an Australian Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, presently holding Watkins is also the portfolio minister as Minister for Transport. The corporation's chief executive is Rear Admiral Geoff Smith. The chairman is Geoff Ashton.
The corporation's first two years saw a significant amount of change, with Suzanne Sinclair, Rear Admiral Chris Oxenbould and Rear Admiral Smith serving as chief executive for parts of 2006.
In 2005-06, the corporation ran a deficit of $48. 7 million on revenues of $94. 1 million. More than half of the corporation's revenue came from government subsidies. Although the corporation failed to meet its targets for fleet availability, its on-time running of 98. 9% outperformed the CityRail network. For the Beijing subway line known as the CityRail Line see Line 13 Beijing Subway CityRail is an operating division of RailCorp
The performance of Sydney Ferries has been criticised by the State Opposition transport spokesman Gladys Berejiklian. Gladys Berejiklian is an Australian politician who has represented Willoughby for the Liberal Party of Australia in the New South Wales Legislative In December 2006, Berejiklian stated that the fleet of 31 had experienced, on average, two breakdowns per vessel per month between July 2005 and September 2006. Berejiklian blamed a lack of maintenance funding. [1]
Network
Sydney Ferries operates a 37-km network consisting of
- Manly ferry services, Sydney (light blue on map)
- Eastern Suburbs ferry services, Sydney (dark green)
- Taronga Zoo ferry services, Sydney (dark blue)
- Inner Harbour ferry services, Sydney (light green, red, orange and lilac)
- Parramatta River ferry services, Sydney (yellow)
Parry Inquiry
The 2003 Ministerial Inquiry into Sustainable Public Transport in New South Wales, known as the Parry Inquiry, was scathing in its assessment of the role and performance of the ferry network. Manly ferry services connect the suburb of Manly New South Wales with Circular Quay by commuter Ferry. Eastern Suburbs ferry services connect wharves in Sydney 's Eastern Suburbs with Circular Quay by commuter Ferry. Taronga Zoo ferry services connect Taronga Zoo with Circular Quay by commuter Ferry. Inner Harbour ferry services connect suburbs on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour with Circular Quay by commuter Ferry. MeadowbankWharf1JPG|right|thumb|Meadowbank wharf]] Parramatta River ferry services connect suburbs along the Parramatta River in Sydney with Circular Quay Report author Tom Parry concluded that
It is hard to believe that taxpayers or the state are getting the best possible value from the large amounts of money being spent each year. This is not new; it has been a problem for many years facing governments from all sides of politics. There are better ways to deliver public transport . . . We have a costly public ferry service that includes what is effectively a subsidised water taxi service for mainly middle to high income earners and tourists.
(pp. xiv-xv)
Parry recommended that Sydney Ferries be established as a separate state-owned corporation (this occurred in 2004) and that the regulatory framework for all ferry services in Sydney be reviewed. The report listed a number of "poor service decisions" and "poor fleet decisions".
Many of his concerns centred on equity. "Sydney ferries are an important feature of the harbour," Parry wrote, "However, only a small proportion of the population directly benefits from these services. " (p. 32)
Poor service decisions
Parry raised significant equity concerns about the ferry service. Almost 50% of the cost of a ferry journey is borne by taxpayers despite research revealing that the average personal income of full-fare paying passengers is $59,425—one-third higher than the average for rail and bus passengers. In any case, commuter use of ferries has been in decline for many years. Parry noted that
Some services such as the Parramatta RiverCat are used almost exclusively by tourists yet the service is priced as a regular public transport service rather than a premium service. (p. 32)
The report also noted that the Manly JetCat service was expensive and unreliable when the lack of demand for the service was taken into account.
Poor fleet decisions
Parry found that the diversity of the Sydney Ferries fleet was pushing up maintenance costs and compromising reliability. A 2003 study by Sinclair Knight Merz estimated that rationalising the fleet's seven classes could eventually yield cost savings of $4 million per year. Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM is an engineering sciences and project delivery firm (p. 55)
Fleet
| Sydney Ferries fleet | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vessel | Class | Service | Capacity | Speed | Length | Displacement | Routes | Origin of name |
| Collaroy | Freshwater | 1988 | 1100 | 14 kn | 70. 4 m | 1140 t | Manly | Collaroy Beach |
| Freshwater | Freshwater | 1982 | 1100 | 14 kn | 70. This article is about the tonne or metric ton For other tons see Ton. Manly ferry services connect the suburb of Manly New South Wales with Circular Quay by commuter Ferry. Collaroy is a Suburb in northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. 4 m | 1140 t | Manly | Freshwater Beach |
| Narrabeen | Freshwater | 1984 | 1100 | 14 kn | 70. 4 m | 1140 t | Manly | Narrabeen Beach |
| Queenscliff | Freshwater | 1983 | 1100 | 14 kn | 70. Narrabeen is a beachside suburb in northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Incidents and accidents 17 January 2005 collision with private yacht in harbou 4 m | 1140 t | Manly | Queenscliff Beach |
| Alexander | First Fleet | 1985 | 393 | 11 kn | 25. Queenscliff is a beachside Suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. 38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | Alexander, part of the 1787 First Fleet |
| Borrowdale | First Fleet | 1985 | 393 | 11 kn | 25. Inner Harbour ferry services connect suburbs on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour with Circular Quay by commuter Ferry. The Alexander was a First Fleet transport of 452 tons Barque -built with Quarterdeck, built at Hull in 1783 The First Fleet is the name given to the 11 Ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 to establish the first European colony in New South Wales. 38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | Borrowdale, part of the 1787 First Fleet |
| Charlotte | First Fleet | 1985 | 393 | 11 kn | 25. The Borrowdale was a First Fleet storeship of 272 tons built in Sunderland in 1785 The First Fleet is the name given to the 11 Ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 to establish the first European colony in New South Wales. 38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | Charlotte, part of the 1787 First Fleet |
| Fishburn | First Fleet | 1985 | 393 | 11 kn | 25. The Charlotte was a First Fleet transport ship built on the River Thames in 1784 and weighing 345 tons The First Fleet is the name given to the 11 Ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 to establish the first European colony in New South Wales. 38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | Fishburn, part of the 1787 First Fleet |
| Friendship | First Fleet | 1986 | 393 | 11 kn | 25. The Fishburn was the largest of the three First Fleet storeships The First Fleet is the name given to the 11 Ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 to establish the first European colony in New South Wales. 38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | Friendship, part of the 1787 First Fleet |
| Golden Grove | First Fleet | 1986 | 393 | 11 kn | 25. Friendship was a First Fleet transport ship built in Scarborough in 1784. The First Fleet is the name given to the 11 Ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 to establish the first European colony in New South Wales. 38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | Golden Grove, part of the 1787 First Fleet |
| Scarborough | First Fleet | 1986 | 393 | 11 kn | 25. The Golden Grove was a First Fleet storeship built at Whitby in 1780. The First Fleet is the name given to the 11 Ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 to establish the first European colony in New South Wales. 38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | Scarborough, part of the 1787 First Fleet |
| Sirius | First Fleet | 1984 | 393 | 11 kn | 25. Scarborough was a transport ship of 418 tons built at Scarborough in 1782 which formed part of the First Fleet which commenced European settlement The First Fleet is the name given to the 11 Ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 to establish the first European colony in New South Wales. 38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | HMS Sirius, flagship of the 1787 First Fleet |
| Supply | First Fleet | 1984 | 393 | 11 kn | 25. See HMS ''Sirius'' for other ships of this name Berwick was built by Watsons of Rotherhithe in 1780 for the Baltic trade The First Fleet is the name given to the 11 Ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 to establish the first European colony in New South Wales. 38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | HMS Supply, part of the 1787 First Fleet |
| Blue Fin | JetCat | 1990 | 280 | 31 kn | 34. The third HMS Supply was a Royal Navy armed tender launched in 1759 which played an important part in the foundation of Australia. The First Fleet is the name given to the 11 Ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 to establish the first European colony in New South Wales. 8 m | 87. 47 t | Manly | Blue Fin, a type of Australian Fish off Queensland Coast |
| Sea Eagle | JetCat | 1991 | 280 | 31 kn | 34. Manly ferry services connect the suburb of Manly New South Wales with Circular Quay by commuter Ferry. Blue Fin is a 1978 family movie that stars Hardy Krüger, Greg Rowe and Elspeth Ballantyne. 8 m | 87. 47 t | Manly | Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, an NRL team |
| Sir David Martin | JetCat | 1990 | 280 | 31 kn | 34. The Manly - Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional Rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney 8 m | 87. 47 t | Manly | Sir David Martin, former Governor of New South Wales |
| Lady Herron | Lady Class | 1979 | 554 | 11 kn | 38. Rear Admiral Sir David James Martin, KCMG, AO ( Sydney April 15, 1933 – August 10, 1990, Sydney The Governor of New South Wales is the representative in the Australian state of New South Wales of Australia's monarch, Elizabeth II, 71 m | 287 t | Inner Harbour & Cruises | |
| Lady Northcott | Lady Class | 1974 | 815 | 11 kn | 43. 79 m | 383 t | Inner Harbour, Manly Relief Vessel & Cruises | Wife of John Northcott, a NSW Governor |
| Betty Cuthbert | RiverCat | 1992 | 230 | 20 kn | 36. Lieutenant General Sir John Northcott KCMG, KCVO, CB, ( 24 March 1890 – 4 August 1966) was 8 m | 41 t | Parramatta River | Betty Cuthbert, an athlete |
| Dawn Fraser | RiverCat | 1992 | 230 | 20 kn | 36. MeadowbankWharf1JPG|right|thumb|Meadowbank wharf]] Parramatta River ferry services connect suburbs along the Parramatta River in Sydney with Circular Quay Elizabeth ("Betty" Cuthbert (born 20 April 1938 in Merrylands, New South Wales) is an Australian athlete, and a four-fold Olympic 8 m | 41 t | Parramatta River | Dawn Fraser, a swimmer |
| Evonne Goolagong | RiverCat | 1993 | 230 | 20 kn | 36. Dawn Lorraine Fraser AO, MBE (born on 4 September 1937 is an Australian champion swimmer 8 m | 41 t | Parramatta River | Evonne Goolagong, a tennis player |
| Marlene Matthews | RiverCat | 1993 | 230 | 20 kn | 36. Evonne Fay Goolagong Cawley, AO, MBE (born 31 July 1951 in Griffith, New South Wales, Australia is a former World No 8 m | 41 t | Parramatta River | Marlene Matthews, an athlete |
| Marjorie Jackson | RiverCat | 1993 | 230 | 20 kn | 36. Marlene Judith Mathews AM AO (born July 14, 1934 in Sydney New South Wales) is a former Australian Olympic 8 m | 41 t | Parramatta River | Marjorie Jackson, an athlete |
| Nicole Livingstone Formally "Nicole Stevenson | RiverCat | 1995 | 230 | 20 kn | 36. Marjorie Jackson-Nelson, AC, CVO, MBE (born 13 September 1931 is the former Governor of South Australia and a former Australian athlete 8 m | 41 t | Parramatta River | Nicole Livingstone, a swimmer |
| Shane Gould | RiverCat | 1993 | 230 | 20 kn | 36. Nicole Dawn Livingstone OAM (born June 24, 1971) is a retired Australian Olympic swimmer and a television sports commentator and 8 m | 41 t | Parramatta River | Shane Gould, a swimmer |
| Anne Sargeant | HarbourCat | 1998 | 150 | 22 kn | 29. Shane Elizabeth Gould, MBE (born 23 November 1956 is an Australian former swimmer who won three gold medals, a silver and bronze 6 m | 35 t | Inner Harbour/ Parramatta | Anne Sargeant, a netballer |
| Pam Burridge | HarbourCat | 1998 | 150 | 22 kn | 29. Anne Sargeant (born 28 December 1957 represented Australian Netball for over a decade 1978 -1988 captaining the Australian Netball Team for six years 6 m | 35 t | Inner Harbour / Parramatta | Pam Burridge, a surfer |
| Louise Sauvage | SuperCat | 2001 | 250 | 25 kn | 37. Pam Burridge was one of the pioneers of women's Surfing in Australia. 76 m | 49 t | Eastern Suburbs | Louise Sauvage, a paralympian |
| Mary MacKillop | SuperCat | 2000 | 250 | 25 kn | 37. Eastern Suburbs ferry services connect wharves in Sydney 's Eastern Suburbs with Circular Quay by commuter Ferry. Alix Louise Sauvage OAM (born 18 September 1973 in Perth, Western Australia) is an Australian Paralympic 76 m | 49 t | Eastern Suburbs | Mary MacKillop, a nun - to be named Australias First Saint |
| SuperCat 4 | SuperCat | 2001 | 250 | 25 kn | 37. Blessed Mary MacKillop ( 15 January 1842 - 8 August 1909) was an Australian Roman Catholic Nun who together 76 m | 49 t | Eastern Suburbs | No name decided for this vessel |
| Susie O’Neill | SuperCat | 2000 | 250 | 25 kn | 37. 76 m | 49 t | Eastern Suburbs | Susie O’Neill, a swimmer |
Accidents
Sydney Ferries has been involved in numerous accidents leading to fatalities during its operation. The most recent event occurred at about 10:30 p. m. on Wednesday 28 March 2007 when the Sydney Ferries HarbourCat Pam Burridge collided with a private charter vessel. Events 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The death toll was four, including a fourteen year-old girl. The collision occurred beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge. } The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a Steel arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail vehicular and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business The passengers on the private vessel were a group from a figure skating seminar at a local rink, who were on a sightseeing cruise of the harbour. Figure skating is an athletic Sport in which individuals pairs or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging Australian champion Sean Carlow was among the survivors of the accident. Sean Carlow (born March 13th 1985 in Sydney, Australia) is an Australian Figure skater. His mother and coach, former Australian Olympic competitor Liz Cain, had her leg amputated, while one of the dead was a skating judge who had returned from officiating at the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships the previous week. The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual Figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters [4][5]
On 3 April 2007, Premier Morris Iemma appointed Bret Walker, a Senior Counsel, to undertake a special commission of inquiry into Sydney Ferries' operations, following the HarbourCat tragedy. Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. A premier is a title for the Head of government in some countries Morris Iemma (ˈjɛmə (born 21 July 1961 is an Australian politician and 40th Premier of New South Wales, succeeding Bob Carr, who resigned on 3 [6]
Two previous accidents had been recorded in 2007, in January one man was killed when a Sydney RiverCat collided with a dinghy, he later died in hospital. [7] In March a Sydney Ferries vessel crashed into a whale-watching ship before hitting the Pyrmont Bridge in Darling Harbour. [8]
References
- ^ Wheels and Keels. State Transit Authority – Community Relations Unit (February 2001). Retrieved on 2008-02-05. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1576 - Henry of Navarre converts to Roman Catholicism in order to ensure his right to the throne of France.
- ^ Centenary of Federation Research – Companies in Australia from 1901. Australian Stock Exchange (May 2001). Retrieved on 2008-02-05. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1576 - Henry of Navarre converts to Roman Catholicism in order to ensure his right to the throne of France.
- ^ Heritage Database – Historical Notes - Baragoola (M.V.). NSW Heritage Office. Retrieved on 2008-02-05. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1576 - Henry of Navarre converts to Roman Catholicism in order to ensure his right to the throne of France.
- ^ "Daily Telegraph" Teen feared among ferry dead 29 March 2007 accessed same day
- ^ Brisbane teen still missing - Queensland - BrisbaneTimes - brisbanetimes.com.au
- ^ Crash ferries face special inquiry | The Daily Telegraph
- ^ Sydney Ferries 'deeply regret' fatal accident. 14/01/2007. ABC News Online
- ^ Ferry collides with cruise boat | The Australian
- Ministerial Inquiry into Sustainable Public Transport in New South Wales
See also
External links
- Sydney Ferries homepage
- 2003 Ministerial Inquiry into Sustainable Transport
- 2007 Special Commission of Inquiry into Sydney Ferries
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