Approval sought for ferry service
A NEW passenger ferry service has been proposed as a way of easing Queenstown’s traffic woes.
Six commuter boats could be ferrying Queenstown residents to and from town if a newlylodged resource consent is approved. Kawarau Jet Holdings Ltd has applied to operate a scheduled ferry service along the Kawarau River and Lake Wakatipu.
The idea has been hinted at in recent Queenstown Lakes District Council plans as a possible way to reduce traffic.
The operation would feature six 9.5m boats, able to seat 42 passengers each, running ferry services between Bridesdale and town and viceversa about every 15 minutes. Stops would include Kelvin Heights, the Frankton Marina, the jetty adjacent to Boyes Cres, and Kawarau Falls Station.
In the application, the company says the service would reduce traffic congestion on Queenstown roads and give commuters and visitors another travel option.
‘‘The ferry service will be comparable to, albeit smaller in scale than the successful waterbased public transport services in urban areas adjacent to waterways, including for example Auckland and Sydney,’’ the application states.
A oneway trip will take about 50 minutes from Queenstown Bay to Bridesdale.
The company has asked for the application to be publicly notified.
‘‘KJet welcomes the testing of such a positive proposal through a public process, and that a notified process will let supporters submit as well.’’
If approved, it was unclear when the service would begin to operate.
According to the Queenstown Integrated Transport Strategy, a ferry network was planned for 2023, and a gondola system was also in the longterm plans.