Devonport: Cross-Mersey ferry

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Roderick Smith
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Joined: Mon May 28, 2012 8:44 pm

Devonport: Cross-Mersey ferry

Post by Roderick Smith »

The original languished when the pontoon was moved from its convenient city-centre location. It also suffered when TTLine fenced off its compound, so that passengers for SoT had to walk a kilometre to reach a point only 100 m distant.

Roderick.

Devonport's ferry service set to return this month.
Published on 5 October 2015.
Devonport’s trans-Mersey ferry service has been given another lifeline, with the much-loved ferry set to be back on the water from Friday, 23 October.
The relaunched ferry service will be known as the ‘Spirit of Devonport’ and will operate Monday to Friday from 7.00am to 5.30pm and Saturdays from 9am to 5pm.
The ‘Spirit of Devonport’ ferry service will be officially launched by MerseyLink at 11am on Friday 23 October, from the ferry pontoon on the East Devonport side of the Mersey.
“A group of local philanthropists have banded together to purchase the western pontoon, to enable MerseyLink to again offer a trans-Mersey River crossing ferry for visitors and the local community” said Devonport Alderman Alison Jarman.
The group of local business people have purchased and gifted the pontoon to Council, who will be responsible for its future maintenance and management.
“The ferry would not be able to re-open if it wasn’t for the generosity and the community mindedness of those involved and also the Bingley’s, as the ferry operators, who are committed to providing the ferry service for the benefit of residents and visitors to Devonport” said Alderman Jarman.
“Council extends its grateful thanks on behalf of the community, to those who have made this possible” said Alderman Grant Goodwin.
Ferry services ceased in June 2014 due to the removal of the State Government’s subsidy and low patronage.
Alderman Goodwin said “It’s now up to every one of us to determine the future of the ferry. Whilst this generous gifting has enabled the ferry to get back on the water, if we do not support the ferry this time around, we may lose it for good in the future”.
“We would encourage the community to use the ferry service, to ensure it is sustainable into the future” he said.
kmoore@devonport.tas.gov.au
http://www.devonport.tas.gov.au/News-Me ... this-month

Mersey ferry pontoon to be repaired
21 Jul 2016, 'Burnie Advocate'.
The owner of the historic trans-Mersey passenger ferry, Spirit of Devonport, said she hoped to have the service back on the river again by spring.
Docked: The Spirit of Devonport passenger ferry has been out of action since the June floods caused damage to the western pontoon. Picture: Cordell Richardson.
The ferry has been berthed and out of action since the western pontoon, owned by the Devonport City Council, was damaged in the June flood event.
A council spokeswoman said a contract had been awarded to Mersey Slipways for the repair of the ferry pontoon.
The work was estimated to cost $65,000 and was due to start in the middle of next week, weather permitting. The council spokeswoman said a time-frame for the work to be done would be determined by when the contractor doing the pile replacements was available.
Jan Bingley, director of the Merseylink bus company which owned the ferry, said it did not carry as many passengers over winter compared to the summer months.
Average passenger numbers on the ferry were 180 per day over summer and in winter it dropped to 80 passengers per day, she said.
“We need 300 per day for a break-even financial situation,” Mrs Bingley said.
“Patronage over summer was an improvement on previous years and we thank all users and supporters of the iconic and historic ferry. Ultimately passengers will keep it afloat.”
Mrs Bingley said the ferry would still need more passengers or an injection of funding in order to keep it permanently on the river.
“We are forever optimistic and will do our best together with the council to keep it operating,” she said.
Mrs Bingley said she was “quietly confident”.
She said a shelter had been made for the western pontoon and was almost installed before the floods and as soon as it was repaired the shelter would be erected.
Mrs Bingley thanked Aldermen Grant Goodwin and Allison Jarman for their work on ferry projects.
Devonport's much-loved ferry received a lifeline when it was relaunched on the Mersey River in October last year.
The community was saddened when the ferry operating for 160 years was docked possibly for good after a State Government subsidy was axed and low patronage made it commercially unviable. The return of the ferry was for an initial 12-month trial period.
http://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/404 ... e-repaired
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