Ferry ‘delays harbor’

By Michelle Herbison
BELLARINE Ferry Group is promoting “misinformation” about the viability of a service between Portarlington and Melbourne, according to a community organisation.
Friends of the Bellarine Hills’ Peter Cowden said Bellarine Ferry Group’s “playing up” of the proposed commuter service was hampering plans to upgrade Portarlington’s harbour.
“I reckon after the initial burst of enthusiasm (for using a ferry) a lot of people would give it away,” Mr Cowden said.
State Planning Minister Matthew Guy announced last week a $300,000 study to investigate the viability of ferry services between Werribee to Docklands.
Mr Cowden thought a Werribee ferry had better prospects than a Portarlington service because it would travel half the distance and on calmer water closer to shore.
“The relatively short distance by bay to the city and the larger population numbers make this proposal appear feasible and practical but the Portarlington-to-Port-Melbourne service is a quite different proposition.”
The Victorian Government told the Independent this week the state would “be more likely to pursue a development in support of the mussel industry” than a ferry service.
A Government spokesperson said Portarlington’s safe harbour project including two ferry berths was estimated at $57 million but upgrades to support only the mussel industry would “likely be significantly less”.
Mr Cowden said residents were also worried additional car parks for a ferry would shrink Portarlington’s open spaces.
Rough weather on the shallow Port Phillip Bay was another concern, he said.
“I’ve spoken with operators of the Sydney service who state there is no way an experienced ferry operator would consider running a high-speed commuter service across the open waters of Port Phillip Bay.”
Bellarine Ferry Group’s John Rae said the berths included in Parks Victoria’s plan to redevelop Portarlington’s harbour were of “minimal cost”.
“It doesn’t include the cost of ferries or anything. A ferry cannot operate until the berths for it are in a safe position.”
Mr Rae said the previous state government ran two surveys that found the ferry service would be “absolutely viable” for commuters from the Bellarine Peninsula and Leopold.