A STUDY investigating the feasibility of a Sydney-style commuter ferry for the western suburbs is about to begin.
It’s three months since Planning Minister Matthew Guy announced the government would look into the possibility of a ferry service operating from Werribee to the city.
He said the proposed service would be run by a private company, with ferries stopping at Werribee South, Point Cook, Altona and Williamstown. The ferries would tie up at Docklands or at a terminal near Flinders Street railway station.
Under the $300,000 study’s terms of reference, the service would be viable only if trips took less than an hour, had reasonable ticket prices and could attract enough passengers.
The idea of a ferry from Werribee to the CBD was first raised in 2008. A Transport Department study completed in the same year found commuter ferries on the bay would lose thousands of dollars a day.
Mr Guy said the government expected a different outcome from the new study. He said the 2008 investigation examined only the feasibility of running a ferry from Portarlington to the city.
“This proposal is different because the Portarlington ferry was servicing a population base much smaller,” he said.
“This would be a western transport service that would be servicing a much larger population.”
Mr Guy expected the study would be completed in three months, with a draft report presented to State Parliament by the end of the year.
He said the study would also look at infrastructure needed to transport people to ferry terminals.
Mr Guy said Werribee South residents were understandably concerned about the ability of local roads to cope with increased traffic.
Residents have requested a free car park for the area before the project proceeds.
