Deadline nears for Fast Ships

Gosford Council will consider other options to provide a commuter ferry service between Ettalong and Sydney, if Fast Ships does not sign a deed of agreement by June 30.

Council, at its meeting of May 2, resolved to organise a report with options, including "proceeding to an open expression of interest" should the deed not be signed in time.

Cr Craig Doyle said the point of the deadline was to make it very clear that the "end of the line" would be June 30.

"The whole purpose of this is to make it quite clear to Fast Ships how long this piece of string is," Cr Doyle said.

"This council has been very supportive of this project.

"There is nothing fast about this particularly project. It's well overdue."

"We want to make it very clear, from a community perspective, that D-day, the end of the line, is June 2006."

Council also resolved that Fast Ships Ltd pay an amount sufficient to cover "all of council's legal and administrative costs, estimated to be about $32,000", prior to access to the site.

Access to the site would be allowed for preliminary investigation works.

"Bottom line is that I am recommending an amount sufficient to cover all of our legal costs," Cr Doyle said.

"These delays are not our fault and I don't think they should be borne by the community."

Cr Doyle said he was "sick to death" of having to field questions as to why council had not "got this going".

"It's got nothing to do with council. We've been very supportive," Cr Doyle said.

"The line in the sand is now drawn."

Lyle Stone, May 2 Council agenda COR.42, May 2