The councils of Greater Hobart have begun exploring the possibility of a new ferry terminal at Lindisfarne, as part of their ongoing efforts to expand the Derwent River ferry service.
Clarence City Council Mayor Brendan Blomeley has confirmed that Burbury Consulting is currently conducting geological testing near the Lindisfarne Sailing Club.
Blomeley said the work being undertaken is simply to determine if a ferry terminal is appropriate for the relevant section of river.
“The four greater Hobart councils are taking the initiative to progress the expansion of the Derwent ferry service and help get the expanded ferry service happening,” he said.
“I must stress this is very early investigative work to assess if the area in vicinity of Lindisfarne Sailing Club could support a ferry terminal before any decision to investigate the site further can be considered.”
He said the City of Hobart, on behalf of Clarence, Glenorchy and Kingborough councils, has engaged Burbury Consulting to carry out the assessments.
“With the support of the Australian Government, our councils have already secured $20 million in federal funding for ferry terminals at Lindisfarne, Sandy Bay and Wilkinsons Point and will keep working to progress this vital service for our city,” Blomeley said.
New Transport Minister Eric Abetz has been tasked with beginning consultations and planning for the construction of three new ferry terminals within the government’s first 100 days.
In February, it was announced the new ferry terminals would be delivered over the next four years.
During the election campaign Premier Rockliff said the existing service to Bellerive had been a “raging success”, with more than 120,000 trips taken in 12 months.
“The ferry expansion is tipped to take around 1,650 cars off the road in peak hours,” he said.
“This will go a long to saving time for families doing school drop-off and CBD workers caught in the rat-race on the Brooker Highway, Tasman Bridge and Sandy Bay Road.”
