Upgrade Ferry Rd wharf instead

The proposed fast commuter ferry to Sydney appears to have hit another snag with questions raised about the availability of docking space at Circular Quay.

Spokesman for Fast Ferries has said he is "confident that once arrangements are finalised we will have a slot but we can't get that until a boat becomes available".

This must surely cast doubt on the wisdom of Gosford Council's decision to grant this company a further extension on what was supposed to be their last chance to secure a boat.

Investors have continually abandoned this project and it is not hard to see why.

If they had read the same document that was available to the public way back in 1998, they would know it is not viable.

The document exhibited stated that the ferry would have a spotter standing on the bow to watch out for whales, and the ferry would have to slow down during the whale migration periods and when approaching North Head because of the penguin colony.

Cost would be approximately $6 more than the train and commuters would have to park on the back streets of Ettalong.

Sea conditions would further slow the journey and, on between 12 and 20 days per year, the ferry would simply be unable to run because of big seas.

Questions are now raised about the silting of the channel off Lobster Beach.

If big yachts are having problems navigating would the bigger ferry have similar problems and is Gosford Council guaranteeing the dredging of the channel at further cost to the ratepayer?

When I was asked to review this document all those years ago, I was reluctant for two reasons.

I don't have expertise in the ferry business and I thought it was a great idea.

I can walk down the beach and jump on a ferry, avoiding the crowded and sometimes unreliable trains or the dreaded F3.

It now appears many investors have similarly reviewed the proposal and reached the same conclusion that is obvious to any objective reader.

It is simply not viable.

Gosford Council should rescind its decision on a one-year extension and look to upgrading the Ferry Rd wharf for the time when somebody can fund a boat that is not a commuter service but is great for tourists when the weather is good.

The State Government pulled their offer of $4.3 million to build a wharf.

Why? Maybe they looked at Sydney Harbour Ferries.

They can't make a profit on the harbour despite having a million customers available in the city.

How will a service with so many unanswered question and no boat make it work?

Bryan Ellis Save Our Suburbs candidate for Gosford Umina