NEWS RELEASE: No Cutbacks to Ferry Services
Regular users of the Manly ferry and JetCat should be uneasy about
the future of their services. The recent report of the Special
Commission of Inquiry into Sydney Ferries (Walker Report) canvasses
cutbacks and possible privatisation of the service. Instead, the
consumer group Action for Public Transport (APT) advocates expanding
ferry services on Sydney Harbour. To further encourage motorists to
switch to public transport, APT also urges the introduction of a
simplified zone based fare system across the Sydney metropolitan area.

Manly MP Mike Baird will host a public meeting on the future of ferry
services at the Freshwater Senior Campus on Thursday 17th January at
6 pm to allow locals to air their views.

The modal split of journeys to/from the CBD is an important measure
in transport planning.  Currently, 70% of all journeys from the Manly
Warringah area to the CBD are made by public transport. The State
Plan has set a goal for 75% of all journeys to/from the CBD to be
made by public transport.
The average across the Sydney metropolitan area is currently 72%.

Ferry services play a crucial role in provision of public transport
for the commuters of the Manly Warringah area. In fact, ferry travel
accounts for 28% of all journeys from the Manly Warringah area to the CBD.

The Walker Report's recommendation to delete JetCat services is
inconsistent with the goals of the State Plan. The percentage of
journeys made by public transport would fall if the JetCat was axed.
Action for Public Transport also opposes replacement of the
Freshwater class Manly Ferries with smaller vessels as proposed by
the Walker Report.

Cutting ferry services will encourage greater use of private motor
cars, which will only exacerbate the problems of road congestion and
air pollution. Planners need to respond to the challenges of peak oil
and climate change. The fourth report of the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change concludes that continued generation of greenhouse
gases at current levels is unsustainable.  (*)

Action for Public Transport urges the New South Wales Government to
invest serious money in expanding public transport capacity.
The government should expand the capacity of the ferry fleet, investigate
the feasibility of a ferry service linking Manly to King St Wharf at
Darling Harbour, and ensure introduction that smartcard ticketing and
zone based fares are prioritised.

(*)<i>"Continued GHG emissions at or above current rates would cause
further warming and induce many changes in the global climate system
during the 21st Century that would very likely be larger than those
observed during the 20th Century."</i>
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report, p.3
Topic 3

<b>Contact:</b> Allan Miles 9516-1906