Bruny locals want priority on ferry

BRUNY Island residents are not aboard the idea of a booking system for the island’s new ferry service and are calling for a priority lane.

The State Government announced last week that SeaLink Travel Group had been awarded the contract to operate ferry services between Bruny Island and Kettering for the next decade, with plans to take over on September 23.

The company plans to build two new ferries with an estimated value of more than $10 million to replace the Tasmanian Governmentowned MV Mirambeena. The ferries are expected to provide a more frequent service.

An online booking system will be introduced during this month’s school holidays.

Bruny Island Community Association public officer Megan Weston said she did not believe a booking system would work for residents.

“We would prefer to have a priority lane,” she said. “The main reason is for 800 of us who live here this is not a tourist destination, this is our home.

“Think about how people would feel about the Tasman Bridge suddenly having a toll and you had to book to get across to go home.”

Infrastructure Minister Jeremy Rockliff said that in the coming weeks SeaLink would host community information sessions to introduce and explain the new service to the Bruny Island community, and operational matters such as priority boarding could be discussed.

“The booking system will be phased in over the first 12 months of the new contract,” he said.

“During this time Bruny Island residents will be eligible for discounted fares and SeaLink will be monitoring local travel patterns to ensure the service meets the needs of locals.”

Opposition infrastructure spokesman David O’Byrne said locals were rightly raising concerns about a decision they were seemingly left out of.

“Jeremy Rockliff was forced to admit that the new ferries will only carry 36 vehicles each, down from the combined capacity of 100 of the MV Mirambeena and MV Bowen,” he said.

“The Liberals have massively miscalculated how much their new service will put the squeeze on at peak periods.”

It comes as award-winning tourism operator Rob Pennicott and current Bruny Island ferry operator Graeme Phillips have a debriefing with the State Government this week over their failed bid for the new contract.

A public meeting to discuss the new ferry contract will be held on Sunday at 11.30am at the Barnes Bay CWA Hall.