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Steering dramas force government to recommission retired Manly ferry
One of the large Manly ferries retired late last year will get a second life on Sydney Harbour because the vessel the government planned to keep has steering problems and is set to be mothballed.
Eight months after the Queenscliff’s last service, ministerial notes obtained by the Herald show the state’s transport agency now plans to return the ferry to the Manly-Circular Quay route.
The Collaroy, which was to stay in service, is instead expected to be retired due to “steering issues” which stem from damage caused by a grounding years ago.
The Narrabeen and Queenscliff are tied up at Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour.Credit:Edwina Pickles
As part of the major U-turn on previous plans, the government is also set to permanently ditch an engine rebuild on the Narrabeen – one of four Freshwater-class ferries – because it will cost an extra $700,000.
The ministerial notes written by the agency last month outline the plans for changes to Sydney’s ferry fleet and services, in what is described as “right sizing the fleet to avoid unnecessary costs”.
They also signal other changes to the state’s ferries, noting there is now an “opportunity to reflect on the required fleet over the short-to-medium term”.
The ministerial documents marked “sensitive”, which were obtained under freedom of information laws, say the Collaroy’s steering problems are unlikely to be “fully resolved without additional expenditure, which brings into question the longer-term reliability of the ferry”.
The Collaroy is now set to be retired.Credit:James Alcock
“[Transport for NSW] now plans to retain the MV Queenscliff alongside the MV Freshwater, cease the MV Narrabeen engine rebuild (and restock parts), and retain the MV Collaroy only until the MV Queenscliff docking is carried out to provide cover,” they say.
While a rebuild of the Narrabeen’s engine did start, the ministerial notes say the project faced “major time and cost over-runs, which led to it being paused ... in March”.
The transport agency estimates the bill for proceeding with the engine rebuild would have been an extra $700,000, which it says is “over and above” docking costs. “Given this additional expense, it is more cost-effective to retain the MV Queenscliff,” the ministerial notes state.
The new plans come amid a review by Transport for NSW of the Emerald-class vessels, which were bought to replace the Freshwater ferries. The new ferries’ poor performance has led to the agency taking “contractual actions” against Transdev, which operates the government-owned vessels.
Labor transport spokeswoman Jo Haylen said the decision to mothball the Narrabeen and retain just two of the four Freshwater vessels was “another broken transport promise” from the government.
“It’s clear that the overseas-built Emerald-class ferries have comprehensively failed to provide a reliable Manly ferry service, but the government still insists on mothballing the only vessels that are proven to work in these conditions,” she said.
Transport Minister David Elliott said he acknowledged the community’s strong attachment to the Freshwater vessels but the decision to keep two of “these iconic ferries and retire the other two is the right balance for commuters”.
“I look forward to receiving the final recommendations from Transport for NSW regarding their proposed options for the ferry fleet,” he said.
Action for Public Transport spokesman Graeme Taylor said the Narrabeen should be docked immediately and returned to service for the busy summer period.
“The government needs to allow for the possibility of frequent mechanical failures by the new Emeralds, and the need for backup vessels. The backup vessels need to be the large Freshwater ferries,” he said.
A Transport for NSW spokesman confirmed the Queenscliff and the Freshwater were expected to remain in “ongoing operation” while a plan for the retirement and future use of the Collaroy and Narrabeen was in development.
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