| Sydney Ferries | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Mode | Ferry |
| Owner | NSW Government |
| Area | Sydney Woollahra Waverley Manly Mosman North Sydney Hunters Hill Ryde Parramatta Canada Bay Leichhardt |
| Business | |
| Key People | David Callahan (Chief Executive) |
| Founded | 1861 - North Shore Ferry Company 1899 - Sydney Ferries Limited |
| Operations | |
| Fleet | 28 vessels |
| Network | 37 km |
| Wharves | 38 |
| Public transport | | |
Sydney Ferries is an agency of the New South Wales Government Department of Transport, providing ferry services on Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River in Sydney, Australia.
Having operated on Sydney Harbour and its related waterways since 1875, today Sydney Ferries carry over 14 million customers each year to destinations in and around Sydney.[1]
Contents |
Sydney Ferries can trace its roots as far back as the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove where in 1789, the first ferry service was established from the Cove to the farming settlement of Parramatta.
The first ferry, officially named the Rose Hill Packet (otherwise known as 'The Lump'), was crafted by convicts and powered by sails and oars. Trips inland from Sydney Cove to Parramatta typically took up to one week to complete. As time progressed, a series of rowboat ferrymen set up small operations to transport people from either side of Sydney Harbour.
In 1861, the North Shore Ferry Company was established which operated the very first commercial ferry service across Sydney Harbour.[2]
In 1899, ferry services were integrated into Sydney Ferries Limited, which became the world's largest ferry operator by fleet size. After the Sydney Harbour Bridge opened on 19 March 1932, ferry patronage dropped almost overnight, decreasing from 30 to 13 million passengers per year.
In 1951, the NSW Government intervened in response to the financial difficulty of the operator and agreed to take over Sydney Ferries Limited.
In 2004, Sydney Ferries Corporation was formed out of the State Transit Authority. On 1 January 2009, Sydney Ferries became a NSW Government agency. In 2012, Sydney Ferries will be franchised under a plan by the NSW Government to improve ferry services.
Sydney Ferries operates services on Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River as an agency of the NSW Department of Transport.
There are also a number of privately-owned ferry companies providing services throughout NSW provided under a service contract with NSW Department of Transport (DoT) in line with the Passenger Transport Act 1990 (NSW).[3]
As with all other NSW transport agencies, amendments to the Transport Administration Act 1988 (NSW) [TA Act][4] established a new framework for the administration and governance of the delivery of transport services and infrastructure.
The Sydney Ferries Board was abolished in line with the 2010 amendments to the TA Act and a new Audit and Risk Committee, independent from operational management or internal audit and risk management, was constituted.
The Executive of Sydney Ferries – formed by the Chief Executive, the Chief Operating Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the General Manager, Engineering and the General Counsel and Company Secretary – is responsible for organisational strategy, policy and performance and meets weekly to discuss operational, and performance issues. The members of the Executive are joined by the Director, Strategy and Communications; the Director, Human Resources; the Customer Relations Manager and the Facilities Manager.
Sydney Ferries entered into a seven year service contract with the NSW Department of Transport for the operation of ferry services in Sydney commencing 1 April 2010.
The contract sets out the service routes and schedules for operation by Sydney Ferries with all ticket revenue managed under the MyZone system.
Sydney Ferries maintains a strategic focus on three areas: safety, service and efficiency. Sydney Ferries also supports two of the priority outcomes under the NSW State Plan,[5] being to improve the public transport system (through increased share of commute trips made by public transport), and to provide reliable public transport (by running 99.5% of ferry services on time).
Sydney Ferries is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), accredited with the NSW Vocational Education and Training Accreditation Board (VETAB).[6] Sydney Ferries assures compliance with its international maritime safety training obligations under these RTO quality standards.
Sydney Ferries' fleet maintenance is conducted at the Sydney Ferries’ Maintenance Facility at Balmain Shipyard in Mort Bay. A major works upgrade to the shipyard was completed in February 2011 to improve operational safety, functionality and environmental compliance of the yard.
In 2009-10, 172,627 Sydney Ferries services were scheduled, carrying more than 14 million passengers.[7]
Passengers comprise a mixture of commuters and leisure travellers, travelling to 40 destinations over 20 hours per day, seven days per week.
Services on Saturdays (417 services) and Sundays (297 services) mainly cater for leisure travel. Demand is greatest on Sundays when a large number of Sydney residents and visitors take advantage of the popular $2.50 Family Funday Sunday tickets, which offer discounted travel for family groups.
The most popular destination is Manly with almost six million passengers travelling on this route in 2009-10.
Patronage is generally highest in January with 1.71 million passengers travelling on Sydney Ferries in January 2011 and 1.53 million in January 2010.[8]
Sydney Ferries record for a single day was last set on Sunday 2 January 2011, when 94,918 passenger validations were recorded across the harbour with almost half making the trip to Manly.[9]
| Sydney Ferries fleet | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vessel | Class | Service | Capacity | Speed | Length | Displacement | Routes | Origin of name |
| Collaroy | Freshwater | 1988 | 1100 | 14 kn | 70.4 m | 1140 t | Manly | Collaroy Beach |
| Freshwater | Freshwater | 1982 | 1100 | 14 kn | 70.4 m | 1140 t | Manly | Freshwater Beach |
| Narrabeen | Freshwater | 1984 | 1100 | 14 kn | 70.4 m | 1140 t | Manly | Narrabeen Beach |
| Queenscliff | Freshwater | 1983 | 1100 | 14 kn | 70.4 m | 1140 t | Manly | Queenscliff Beach |
| Alexander | First Fleet | 1985 | 393 | 12 kn | 25.38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | Alexander, part of the 1787 First Fleet |
| Borrowdale | First Fleet | 1985 | 393 | 12 kn | 25.38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | Borrowdale, part of the 1787 First Fleet |
| Charlotte | First Fleet | 1985 | 393 | 12 kn | 25.38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | Charlotte, part of the 1787 First Fleet |
| Fishburn | First Fleet | 1985 | 403 | 12 kn | 25.38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | Fishburn, part of the 1787 First Fleet |
| Friendship | First Fleet | 1986 | 403 | 12 kn | 25.38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | Friendship, part of the 1787 First Fleet |
| Golden Grove | First Fleet | 1986 | 403 | 12 kn | 25.38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | Golden Grove, part of the 1787 First Fleet |
| Scarborough | First Fleet | 1986 | 403 | 12 kn | 25.38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | Scarborough, part of the 1787 First Fleet |
| Sirius | First Fleet | 1984 | 393 | 12 kn | 25.38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | HMS Sirius, flagship of the 1787 First Fleet |
| Supply | First Fleet | 1984 | 393 | 12 kn | 25.38 m | 105 t | Inner Harbour | HMS Supply, part of the 1787 First Fleet |
| Lady Herron | Lady Class | 1979 | 554 | 11 kn | 38.71 m | 287 t | Taronga Zoo | Wife of Sir Leslie Herron, former Lieutenant Governor of NSW |
| Lady Northcott | Lady Class | 1974 | 815 | 12 kn | 43.79 m | 383 t | Taronga Zoo, Manly Relief Vessel & Cruises | Wife of Sir John Northcott, a NSW Governor |
| Betty Cuthbert | RiverCat | 1992 | 230 | 22 kn | 36.8 m | 41 t | Parramatta River | Betty Cuthbert, Australian World Champion athlete |
| Dawn Fraser | RiverCat | 1992 | 230 | 22 kn | 36.8 m | 41 t | Parramatta River | Dawn Fraser, Australian World Champion swimmer |
| Evonne Goolagong | RiverCat | 1993 | 230 | 22 kn | 36.8 m | 41 t | Parramatta River | Evonne Goolagong, Australian World Champion tennis player |
| Marlene Mathews | RiverCat | 1993 | 230 | 22 kn | 36.8 m | 41 t | Parramatta River | Marlene Mathews, Australian World Champion athlete |
| Marjorie Jackson | RiverCat | 1993 | 230 | 22 kn | 36.8 m | 41 t | Parramatta River | Marjorie Jackson, Australian World Champion athlete |
| Nicole Livingstone | RiverCat | 1995 | 230 | 22 kn | 36.8 m | 41 t | Parramatta River | Nicole Livingstone, Australian World Champion swimmer |
| Shane Gould | RiverCat | 1993 | 230 | 22 kn | 36.8 m | 41 t | Parramatta River | Shane Gould,Australian World Champion swimmer |
| Anne Sargeant | HarbourCat | 1998 | 150 | 22 kn | 29.6 m | 35 t | Inner Harbour/ Parramatta | Anne Sargeant, a netballer |
| Pam Burridge | HarbourCat | 1998 | 150 | 22 kn | 29.6 m | 35 t | Inner Harbour / Parramatta | Pam Burridge, a surfer |
| Louise Sauvage | SuperCat | 2001 | 250 | 26 kn | 37.76 m | 49 t | Eastern Suburbs | Louise Sauvage, a paralympian |
| Saint Mary MacKillop | SuperCat | 2000 | 250 | 26 kn | 37.76 m | 49 t | Eastern Suburbs | Saint Mary MacKillop, Australia's firstsaint cannonised in 2010 |
| SuperCat4 | SuperCat | 2001 | 250 | 26 kn | 37.76 m | 49 t | Eastern Suburbs | No name decided for this vessel |
| Susie O’Neill | SuperCat | 2000 | 250 | 26 kn | 37.76 m | 49 t | Eastern Suburbs | Susie O’Neill, a swimmer |
| Fantasea Crystal* | Fantasea Charter Vessel | 2002 | 222 | 22 kn | 23.94 m | 32 t | Parramatta River | N/A |
| Fantasea Spirit* | Fantasea Charter Vessel | 2002 | 222 | 22 kn | 23.94 m | 32 t | Parramatta River | N/A |
On Wednesday, 28 March 2007, the Sydney Ferries HarbourCat Pam Burridge and a private vessel Merinda collided beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The report of the Office of Transport Safety Investigations findings stated 'the Merinda was not exhibiting the navigation lights it was required to, it did not become visible to the Master of the Pam Burridge until it was too late for him to take effective collision-avoidance action, and ii. because a proper look-out was not maintained onboard the Merinda, the approach of the Pam Burridge was either not detected, or was detected in insufficient time for the Helmsman to give way to, or avoid, the ferry.[10] The summary of the Coroner’s Report noted “It was the error made in failing to illuminate the navigation lights [on the private vessel Merinda] that allowed the other causal factors to align to create a cascading causal effect resulting in the collision.[11] The death toll of the accident was four, including a fourteen year-old girl. The passengers on the private vessel were a group from a figure skating seminar at a local rink, who were on a sightseeing cruise of the harbour. Australian champion Sean Carlow was among the survivors of the accident. His mother and coach, former Australian Olympic competitor Liz Cain, had her leg amputated, while one of the dead was a skating judge who had returned from officiating at the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships the previous week.[12][13] On 3 April 2007, then Premier of New South Wales Morris Iemma appointed Bret Walker, a Senior Counsel, to undertake a special commission of inquiry into Sydney Ferries' operations, following the HarbourCat tragedy.[14]
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||