Wharf an ‘expensive diving board’
The recently renovated Seatoun Wharf has been called ‘‘a very expensive diving board’’ without the daily Eastbourne ferry service taking students across the harbour to Scots College.
The crossing was on hold for 18 months during the wharf’s $2.8 million upgrade, but there had been no indication the service between Seatoun and Days Bay would be cancelled indefinitely.
However, on January 19, East By West ferries released a statement saying the service would not resume, upsetting parents of students at the capital’s biggest private secondary school.
The company blamed increased running costs, passenger volumes, and scheduling issues, with only one of its boats able to dock at Seatoun in all tides.
At a meeting at Scots College on Wednesday night last week, Matt Allen, college head of middle school, said he was being asked lots of questions but had no answers for parents.
‘‘As a resident of Seatoun and a ratepayer, I wish we’d known more about what was happening as that wharf was being renovated,’’ he told the meeting.
‘‘If it’s not being used by the ferry to Days Bay and the tides prevent the ferry going there, it might as well be a very expensive diving board.’’
Allen said he supported public transport and electric ferries but said it was sad to see parents having to reconsider sending their children to Scots. Another parent from Eastbourne questioned the ferry service via Queens Wharf too, saying it was not reliable enough and had the same issues with a long commute for the college students.
Last month, Scots College parent Cathy Gamba said the daily three-hour return journey for students by road was a commute most adults wouldn’t consider.
East by West Ferries chief executive Matt Johnson told the meeting that Seatoun wharf’s exposure to strong tides made it unworkable to schedule ferries.
The company continued to investigate a service between Days Bay and Shelly Bay, which would serve Weta Workshop staff and airport workers, as well as Scots students.
Hutt South-based National MP Chris Bishop said it was disappointing to see the service cancelled, ‘‘especially when we’re encouraging people to use alternative forms of transport to their cars’’. Bishop attended the community meeting hosted by Scots headmaster Graeme Yule, alongside Rongotai MP Paul Eagle, and Greater Wellington councillor Thomas Nash.
Nash said his ambition with Wellington’s public transport was to service the greatest number of destinations and the greatest number of people.
‘‘There are a lot of requests for more direct services but we just can’t do it all.
‘‘Eastbourne is one of the best served places in the region for public transport, with direct buses into the CBD and a direct ferry across the harbour to Queen’s Wharf.’’
‘‘There are a lot of requests for more direct services but we just can’t do it all. Eastbourne is one of the best served places in the region for public transport.’’ Thomas Nash, Greater Wellington councillor