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Ferry service’s bid to dock in central Geelong
GEELONG’S commuter ferry service will launch from the heart of the city’s waterfront, right next to the carousel and the floating Christmas tree.
With the daily trips to and from Melbourne’s Docklands to start in less than four months, the City of Greater Geelong will this week vote on a plan to install mooring piles at Steampacket Quay so the Geelong Flyer can dock there. Costing $90,000, the infrastructure is needed to bring the 400-seat ferry into the most central position possible for its maiden voyage on December 2.
Operator Port Phillip Ferries says it has invested close to $20 million on the project, backing its plan to connect commuters from the heart of Geelong to the heart of the Docklands, where the free CBD tram service is just a short walk away.
“You need to bring it into the heart of the city, you need parking. All of the services around the world have told us that,” PPF chief executive officer Murray Rance told the Geelong Advertiser yesterday.
Owned by billionaire Paul Little, PPF estimates its service will generate up to $4 million for the Greater Geelong economy in its first six months of operation, with day-trippers expected to each spend $89 when they visit.
Mr Rance said construction of the Geelong Flyer was ahead of schedule, and staff recruitment was under way.
He said to run its full timetable the ferry would need about 20 staff, including skippers, engineers, crew and cafe workers. The vessel will be based in Geelong, so Mr Rance said it was likely some staff would also come from the city.
Mr Rance said a strategy was being devised to give ferry passengers parking options near Steampacket Quay, including on neighbouring Cunningham Pier, and improve access for tourist coaches.
Ahead of tomorrow night’s meeting in Whittington councillors have been told Steampacket Quay is the only jetty where the ferry can dock, and 1 Rebuts mad sounds from
percussion instruments 2 The hero arranges to guffaw 3 A pitcher found in breweries 4 Enthusiastically involved in
main topics 5 A distress signal next to nothing is neither good nor bad (2,2) the mooring piles are needed to “help facilitate the safe berthing of the ferry in all weather conditions, and to enable the (Christmas) tree to be repositioned closer to shore”.
Using its PortarlingtonDocklands ferry service as a guide, PPF contends ferry commuters are worth more to the Geelong economy than cruise ship passengers, who arrive infrequently, and are often locked into prepaid tours.
“When we bring people over they’re genuine spenders,” Mr Rance said. “It’s worked really well out of Portarlington, and, given the population of Geelong, why wouldn’t it work?”
The State Government has contributed $6 million to the three-year ferry trial. The journey between Victoria’s two biggest cities will take a little more than 90 minutes, with a return trip costing $36.
But Mr Rance said his firm was negotiating with authorities on speed limits, as it worked to further reduce the travel time.