Ferries should be used across the River Derwent during each and every major event in the capital, Labor says.
The party is pushing for a “comprehensive” event-specific ferry strategy to ensure seamless connectivity for locals and visitors as the network expands.
The call comes as extra ferries will run during tonight’s sold-out Hurricanes BBL final, following a similar initiative over Christmas to shuttle shoppers between the city and the eastern shore.
Labor’s Shadow Events Minister Luke Edmunds says the current mishmash approach is inconsistent and confusing.
“What we’re seeing at the moment is there’s some events that don’t have the ferries running and there’s some that do,” he said.
“When people know they can rely on a ferry service, they can plan their day, they know their transport’s sorted out, they know they can let their hair down if they want to or that they can rely on getting home safely.”
Edmunds said ferries should be a staple during major festivals like Dark Mofo, the Taste and large-scale concerts.
“If people on the mainland and even overseas know that when you … come to Hobart for a big event, that there’s an easy to use ferry system, it’s one less thing they have to worry about when they’re planning their trip,” he said.
Hobart-based events specialist Nikki Long said a lack of transport options is deterring attendance. She said traffic congestion, parking challenges and long wait times can make or break an event before it even begins.
“If you’re going with a group of people that you can’t all fit into an Uber, jumping on the ferry adds to that social connection that you’re going to have with events,” Long said.
The state government has indicated that additional ferry services outside the regular timetable depend on event locations and venue capacities.
The River Derwent ferry network will expand in the coming years, with new routes planned for Sandy Bay, Lindisfarne and Wilkinsons Point.
