‘Clear’ case for city ferry service, new study says
Setup costs could hit $17m, with running costs of up to $7.8m
There is a “clear and compelling case” for pursuing a ferry service linking Omokoroa, ¯ Tauranga CBD and Mount Maunganui, a study has found — but setup costs could hit $17 million.
A business leader has hit out at the study, saying in his view it delivered “no new progress” on the ferry idea and was biased towards barriers.
The Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty Ferries Feasibility Study will be considered at a Bay of Plenty Regional Council Public Transport Committee meeting today.
In a report, council team leader of service planning and project delivery Oliver Haycock said a ferry service would have lower greenhouse gas emissions per passenger kilometre than other transport modes and would help reduce road congestion.
It could also give carless people another option and provide better access to jobs, education, services and social opportunities.
But any progress on the idea had multiple “issues and risks”, Haycock said.
“There is no ‘risk-free, low cost’ option that could be delivered in the short-term that would likely be attractive for customers.”
The service’s success would depend on factors including service frequency, how it compared to other transport modes, and supporting infrastructures such as wharf upgrades and parking, he said.
Haycock said going ahead without the infrastructure upgrades was a risk. They would be the responsibility of the Western Bay of Plenty District Council and the Tauranga City Council, and funding was expected in their 2026-2030 budgets.
For the Omokoroa-cbd ¯ route, estimated capital costs to establish the service ranged from $4m for an hourly peak time weekday service to about $9m for a 30-minute daily service. Operational costs were $1.5m to $7m a year.
For Mount Maunganui-cbd, capital costs range from about $5m to about $8m with operational costs of $1.3m to $4m a year.
Tauranga’s population of 190,000 was expected to increase by an additional 200,000 over the next 30 to 70 years.
However, Haycock also warned there may not be enough customers to support the O¯ mokoroa to CBD service.
The new Takitimu North Link (stage one) and a potential O¯ mokoroa park and ride “could encourage customers to continue to travel by car”.
The study found a ¯29-minute Omokoroa to CBD ferry ride would be 21 minutes quicker than a peak-time drive. The 14-minute Mount Maunganui run would shave up to eight minutes off a driving commute. Proposed fares would be $8 for the Omokoroa ¯ run and $5.50 for Mount Maunganui — in line with comparable Auckland services.
The study referenced growing patronage of Auckland’s ferry service due to time savings, parking, frequency and capacity.
A local ferry service aligned with three of the Urban Form and Transport Initiative’s (UFTI) four investment objectives relating to greenhouse gases, efficient and effective freight, and people living within travel thresholds to amenities, the study found. However, market research identified key barriers to
people using the ferry were price, reliability, ferry capacity, parking, commute times, weather, poor connectivity, and the need to use a car.
The study identified that more than $1m in essential infrastructure upgrades were needed before the service could start being established. These included upgrading Salisbury Wharf and addressing a lack of Mount parking.
“Without improvements to parking facilities, it is unlikely that significant numbers of customers would be attracted to use the ferry service,” the study said.
The study concluded there was a “clear and compelling case” to further investigate launching a ferry service. Infrastructure, access to wharves and a diesel versus low-emission vessels debate were key issues to address before a business case could be developed.
The study recommended the city and district councils work with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to progress the project, which relied on a “strong partnership approach”.
Nigel Tutt, chief executive of Western Bay economic development agency Priority One — which has also looked into the case for ferries — panned the new study.
In Tutt’s view, the study detailed “obvious information that has already been outlined, with a bias towards barriers over opportunities”.
He said Priority One was, in his view, “disappointed to see such a weak position, with no new progress made in two years”.
Sustainable Bay of Plenty director Glen Crowther said at heart, he wanted to back the O¯ mokoroa to the CBD route as an alternative transport
option, but logically he could not see how the investment stacked up.
“I’d have to rule out O¯ mokoroa but I don’t want to rule out the Mount Maunganui option. I think there’s a way this could happen and there could be higher patronage from a more diverse group of passengers,” Crowther said.
Sustainable Bay of¯plenty had previously canvassed Omokoroa residents about preferred transport options and most respondents wanted rail, he said.
Rail and ferry were “very expensive” compared to buses, and rail offered more stops than a ferry.
In response to Tutt’s concerns, council chief executive Fiona Mctavish said a ferry service could provide an “attractive and innovative travel choice”.
The study provided information on progressing work done previously by expert consultants but “initial estimates indicate a significant cost to ratepayers with capital costs at between $8.8m-$16.9m, and an operating subsidy requirement of between $1.6m-$7.8m”.
“Funding cannot rely solely on local government,” Mctavish said.