The fight for Sydney’s waterways is on in earnest, with a group of commuters and ferry workers rallying against the possible privatisation of Sydney Ferries in Drummoyne last Friday.
Last year, after a string of problems and mishaps, Sydney Ferries was given an ultimatum – get its act together or face certain privatisation. The organisation has since undergone a managerial overhaul and reliability has improved, but the threat of privatisation remains, with Transport Minister David Campbell stating last week a decision on whether to keep it in public hands, or sell it to one of two private bidders, would be made by the end of the year.
Amongst the speakers at Cabarita wharf was legendary union activist Jack Mundey. “Every day, thousands of commuters enjoy a safe, affordable and reliable trip on a Sydney ferry,” he said. “By taking our campaign to the communities that rely on Sydney Ferries every day, we’re giving each of those commuters a platform to tell their local MP how much they appreciate the service.”
The activists have also received backing from an important source – Angela D’Amore, the state Labor member for Drummoyne, who last week became the first government MP to break ranks and publicly oppose privatisation.
“In the state seat of Drummoyne I have five wharves, and ferry services are very well patronised by my local residents,” Ms D’Amore said. “Overwhelmingly my residents that use Sydney Ferries have said to me they would like Sydney Ferries to stay in public hands. It is my understanding that Sydney Ferries is one of the tenderers; significant reforms have been made by the managerial structure [and] the union members, and I think they are well-placed in that tender process.”
Maritime Union of Australia Sydney Branch Secretary, Paul McAleer, described the contrast between the performance of Sydney Ferries and privately-owned bidders Veolia and Transdev TSL as “chalk and cheese”, citing a string of poor performance in other Veolia-managed transport services. “The test of any privatisation is whether it improves services to the public – it’s very hard to see how a company like Veolia, with its track record, could possibly compete with Sydney Ferries,” he said.
