❓ Transperth will discontinue the seasonal ferry service to Coode Street jetty due to low patronage, redirecting resources to increase services at Mends Street jetty. A trial Sunday service to Coode Street is being considered to promote tourism.
AnsweredQoN 151Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Some notice of the question has been given. Can the minister advise whether Transperth is about to permanently discontinue the seasonal ferry service to and from Coode Street jetty in South Perth; and, if so, why? Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. Yes, a decision has been made by the Public Transport Authority to discontinue the ferry service to Coode Street jetty in South Perth. The basis for this decision is that the average patronage of the Coode Street ferry is three persons per trip, as opposed to the average patronage of the Mends Street ferry, which is 24 persons per trip. The government is not proposing to save any money from this change. We intend to use the additional resources to increase the number of services to Mends Street jetty. We have calculated that we will be able to deliver a better return on investment for the people of South Perth by increasing the frequency of services to Mends Street jetty, because that is where the bulk of the patronage occurs. There are connector bus services between Coode Street and Mends Street. I have recently received a letter from one of the member’s constituents expressing his concern about this matter. One point that was made in the letter and that is worth looking at is the possibility of a weekend service to Coode Street. I am prepared next summer to consider the trial of a Sunday service to see whether we can promote the Coode Street area as a tourism destination. I am happy to work with the member to see whether we can make that work for that six-month period. It will obviously need to be promoted, because if the service is not being used we will not continue to sink resources into it. It is certainly true that Perth has beautiful waterways. However, because of the lack of population densities in the riverside areas of Perth we have not been able to make a ferry service work. However, I am optimistic that with the fantastic development that Mirvac Fini (WA) Pty Ltd is doing at Burswood, and the rejuvenation of the old eastern gateway to the city of Perth that we are in the process of undertaking, the population densities in those areas will build up and make a ferry service a more viable proposition.
Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for the question. Yes, a decision has been made by the Public Transport Authority to discontinue the ferry service to Coode Street jetty in South Perth. The basis for this decision is that the average patronage of the Coode Street ferry is three persons per trip, as opposed to the average patronage of the Mends Street ferry, which is 24 persons per trip. The government is not proposing to save any money from this change. We intend to use the additional resources to increase the number of services to Mends Street jetty. We have calculated that we will be able to deliver a better return on investment for the people of South Perth by increasing the frequency of services to Mends Street jetty, because that is where the bulk of the patronage occurs. There are connector bus services between Coode Street and Mends Street. I have recently received a letter from one of the member’s constituents expressing his concern about this matter. One point that was made in the letter and that is worth looking at is the possibility of a weekend service to Coode Street. I am prepared next summer to consider the trial of a Sunday service to see whether we can promote the Coode Street area as a tourism destination. I am happy to work with the member to see whether we can make that work for that six-month period. It will obviously need to be promoted, because if the service is not being used we will not continue to sink resources into it. It is certainly true that Perth has beautiful waterways. However, because of the lack of population densities in the riverside areas of Perth we have not been able to make a ferry service work. However, I am optimistic that with the fantastic development that Mirvac Fini (WA) Pty Ltd is doing at Burswood, and the rejuvenation of the old eastern gateway to the city of Perth that we are in the process of undertaking, the population densities in those areas will build up and make a ferry service a more viable proposition.
I thank the member for the question. Yes, a decision has been made by the Public Transport Authority to discontinue the ferry service to Coode Street jetty in South Perth. The basis for this decision is that the average patronage of the Coode Street ferry is three persons per trip, as opposed to the average patronage of the Mends Street ferry, which is 24 persons per trip. The government is not proposing to save any money from this change. We intend to use the additional resources to increase the number of services to Mends Street jetty. We have calculated that we will be able to deliver a better return on investment for the people of South Perth by increasing the frequency of services to Mends Street jetty, because that is where the bulk of the patronage occurs. There are connector bus services between Coode Street and Mends Street. I have recently received a letter from one of the member’s constituents expressing his concern about this matter. One point that was made in the letter and that is worth looking at is the possibility of a weekend service to Coode Street. I am prepared next summer to consider the trial of a Sunday service to see whether we can promote the Coode Street area as a tourism destination. I am happy to work with the member to see whether we can make that work for that six-month period. It will obviously need to be promoted, because if the service is not being used we will not continue to sink resources into it. It is certainly true that Perth has beautiful waterways. However, because of the lack of population densities in the riverside areas of Perth we have not been able to make a ferry service work. However, I am optimistic that with the fantastic development that Mirvac Fini (WA) Pty Ltd is doing at Burswood, and the rejuvenation of the old eastern gateway to the city of Perth that we are in the process of undertaking, the population densities in those areas will build up and make a ferry service a more viable proposition.
It is certainly true that Perth has beautiful waterways. However, because of the lack of population densities in the riverside areas of Perth we have not been able to make a ferry service work. However, I am optimistic that with the fantastic development that Mirvac Fini (WA) Pty Ltd is doing at Burswood, and the rejuvenation of the old eastern gateway to the city of Perth that we are in the process of undertaking, the population densities in those areas will build up and make a ferry service a more viable proposition.
Ms A.J.G. MacTIERNAN replied: I thank the member for the question. Yes, a decision has been made by the Public Transport Authority to discontinue the ferry service to Coode Street jetty in South Perth. The basis for this decision is that the average patronage of the Coode Street ferry is three persons per trip, as opposed to the average patronage of the Mends Street ferry, which is 24 persons per trip. The government is not proposing to save any money from this change. We intend to use the additional resources to increase the number of services to Mends Street jetty. We have calculated that we will be able to deliver a better return on investment for the people of South Perth by increasing the frequency of services to Mends Street jetty, because that is where the bulk of the patronage occurs. There are connector bus services between Coode Street and Mends Street. I have recently received a letter from one of the member’s constituents expressing his concern about this matter. One point that was made in the letter and that is worth looking at is the possibility of a weekend service to Coode Street. I am prepared next summer to consider the trial of a Sunday service to see whether we can promote the Coode Street area as a tourism destination. I am happy to work with the member to see whether we can make that work for that six-month period. It will obviously need to be promoted, because if the service is not being used we will not continue to sink resources into it. It is certainly true that Perth has beautiful waterways. However, because of the lack of population densities in the riverside areas of Perth we have not been able to make a ferry service work. However, I am optimistic that with the fantastic development that Mirvac Fini (WA) Pty Ltd is doing at Burswood, and the rejuvenation of the old eastern gateway to the city of Perth that we are in the process of undertaking, the population densities in those areas will build up and make a ferry service a more viable proposition.
I thank the member for the question. Yes, a decision has been made by the Public Transport Authority to discontinue the ferry service to Coode Street jetty in South Perth. The basis for this decision is that the average patronage of the Coode Street ferry is three persons per trip, as opposed to the average patronage of the Mends Street ferry, which is 24 persons per trip. The government is not proposing to save any money from this change. We intend to use the additional resources to increase the number of services to Mends Street jetty. We have calculated that we will be able to deliver a better return on investment for the people of South Perth by increasing the frequency of services to Mends Street jetty, because that is where the bulk of the patronage occurs. There are connector bus services between Coode Street and Mends Street. I have recently received a letter from one of the member’s constituents expressing his concern about this matter. One point that was made in the letter and that is worth looking at is the possibility of a weekend service to Coode Street. I am prepared next summer to consider the trial of a Sunday service to see whether we can promote the Coode Street area as a tourism destination. I am happy to work with the member to see whether we can make that work for that six-month period. It will obviously need to be promoted, because if the service is not being used we will not continue to sink resources into it. It is certainly true that Perth has beautiful waterways. However, because of the lack of population densities in the riverside areas of Perth we have not been able to make a ferry service work. However, I am optimistic that with the fantastic development that Mirvac Fini (WA) Pty Ltd is doing at Burswood, and the rejuvenation of the old eastern gateway to the city of Perth that we are in the process of undertaking, the population densities in those areas will build up and make a ferry service a more viable proposition.
It is certainly true that Perth has beautiful waterways. However, because of the lack of population densities in the riverside areas of Perth we have not been able to make a ferry service work. However, I am optimistic that with the fantastic development that Mirvac Fini (WA) Pty Ltd is doing at Burswood, and the rejuvenation of the old eastern gateway to the city of Perth that we are in the process of undertaking, the population densities in those areas will build up and make a ferry service a more viable proposition.
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