Gold Coast ferry tender chosen

GOLD COAST BULLETIN
9th May, 2006

A FERRY service could be running on the Gold Coast before the end of next year after the council announced a winning tender yesterday.

Passenger ferries will travel between Paradise Point and the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre at Broadbeach every half hour, carrying mainly tourists for about $5 a ticket.

The council's co-ordination committee yesterday endorsed Solar Coast Cats as its preferred supplier of a ferry system, agreeing to talk to make it happen.

General manager Roland Brautigam said the service would be the most attractive and relaxing way to travel around the Gold Coast.

He said the ferries would be a tourist attraction 'in their own right' as they would form the first hybrid-driven service in the world.

Mr Brautigam estimated the service would attract about 3000 passengers a day, with the service to be expanded if it was successful.

"We are working at around $5 a ticket for a single trip from Paradise Point to the convention centre, though it is not concrete," he said.

He said shuttles would run from the convention centre to Pacific Fair shopping centre.

Co-ordination committee chairman David Power said four companies submitted expressions of interest to run a ferry service.

"They (Solar Coast Cats) provided the most comprehensive business case. There will be no need for the council to subsidise the actual operation," said Cr Power.

He said negotiations would cover start-up costs and the issue of terminals.

"None of the issues are cause for grave fear, the ferry service will happen," he said.

"Now that we've got the bus network starting to expand, it's a valid argument to start implementing ferries.

"It's certainly a stress-free mode of travel."

But there are still several hurdles to go, not least the issue of speed limits.

Solar Coast Cats wants the State Government to double the six-knot speed limit on the Nerang River to enable trip times of 50 to 60 minutes.

The company and the council will enter negotiations with the Department of Transport, which has expressed concerns about the impact of increased wake on the environment and revetment walls.

Cr Power said the ability of the service to attract passengers would be 'severely limited' if the six-knot limit remained.

Mr Brautigam said he was confident he would be able to assure the State Government the increased speeds would not have negative effects.

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