Glebe Society fights to save Blackwattle Bay Ferry while Transport for NSW “consider options”

By AMBER GRIFFIN

Glebe residents are currently pushing to save the on-demand Blackwattle Bay ferry that jets its passengers from Glebe to Barangaroo in under 13 minutes. The Glebe ferry service is currently on a NSW government trial to decide if the ferry will continue to run.  

The Blackwattle Bay F10 ferry service began its trial earlier this year as a test to see if the demand was high enough to keep the service permanently. Residents are fighting to keep the service as they are flooded with uncertainty over whether the community loved ferry service will continue to run, as the future of the ferry service remains unclear.

The NSW Government has established a high level of secrecy around information regarding the ferry trial and are reluctant to share clear figures determining whether the service will continue or not.

Greens Member for Parliament Jamie Parker shared in a newsletter last week that the usage numbers are “ranging around the 120 per day mark”.

The Government shared with the Glebe Society that the ferry service will only continue to run if it has 150 passengers per day yet has not yet released the daily passenger numbers to the public.

“It’s a mystery as to why the government won’t release these figures, obviously that information is key to understanding the viability of the service” Glebe Society Convenor Allan Hogan told City Hub.

“It would be informative for the public to understand why the government has chosen the figure of 150 passengers a day as the key determinant of the future of the service.  We believe these numbers should be made public.”

Hogan shared with City Hub that he believes an important step to improve the ferry’s usage would be to allow the use of the Opal Card on the service. At the present time only a debit or credit card can be used to pay the fare.

“The route should be extended to Annandale which would increase passenger numbers and give Annandale residents more public transport options.  The service should be more widely publicised.”

“It’s obviously useful for Glebe commuters who wish to travel quickly to Barangaroo, but more generally it’s a pleasant way for tourists to make a short harbour trip, especially if they want to visit the Fish Markets or the Tramsheds” Hogan said. 

“Any form of public transport that relieves pressure on our overcrowded roads is welcome.” 

“To travel from Glebe to Barangaroo without the ferry requires a two-step mode of wither two buses or the light rail and ferry” Ferry advocating UTS student Hannah Brack said. 

Transport for NSW “considering options” for ferry service

Transport for NSW was asked by City Hub when the F10 ferry service trial will come to an end, as  well as the release of the usage data, and most importantly; will the ferry service keep running?

A TfNSW spokesperson returned unclear answers to the questions on the minds of the Glebe Society and Sydney’s ferry-loving community members.

The spokesperson told City Hub that the F10 ferry route from Blackwattle Bay to Barangaroo was introduced following the reduction of Inner West light rail services for essential fleet repairs in 2021.

“With Inner West light rail services expected to return to full capacity in coming months, Transport for NSW is considering options regarding the ongoing operation of the F10 service.”

The Glebe Society published a petition hosted by University of Technology ‘Bachelor of Management’ students. The students are trying to determine current and potential demand for the ferry service in order to work out a strategy to promote the ferry service.

To assist the students in achieving transparency surrounding the ferry information and save the community loved F10 ferry service, sign the petition here.

“Perfect for a peaceful commute to work, trying the many lively restaurants in Barangaroo or having a spring picnic with the kids on Stargazer Lawn” the petition says.