‘Stop procrastinating’: Large Manly ferry languishes two years after it was retired

5 hours ago 4

Almost two years after one of the large Manly ferries was retired from Sydney’s busiest route, its fate remains up in the air due to challenges finding a new owner or community group to look after it.

The double-ended Collaroy, which is the youngest of the four renowned Freshwater-class ferries, is tied up indefinitely at Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour as the state government decides its future.

One of the other large Manly ferries – the Freshwater – has also been bumped from a planned dry docking at Sydney’s Garden Island in August by the navy, delaying its overhaul until next March.

The Collaroy berthed beside the Narrabeen at Cockatoo Island on Thursday.

The Collaroy was retired from service on the Manly-Circular Quay route in September 2023, after the government deemed it “prohibitively expensive” due to its “one-of-a-kind build”.

Despite expressions of interest in the Collaroy originally being due to close in May, Transport for NSW said a final decision had yet to be made about the vessel’s future, adding that it would be managing any interim berthing arrangements.

“The expression of interest for future options regarding the Collaroy remains an open and confidential procurement activity. Further details cannot be disclosed at this time,” it said in a statement.

Action for Transport ferry expert Graeme Taylor said it would be difficult to find a buyer or a community group for the Collaroy because a new owner would need to develop a business model generating sufficient revenue to cover the operating costs of the 70-metre ocean-going ferry. “You would need two or three charters a day to begin to pay the bills. You might be lucky to get one a week,” he said.

Taylor said the government should retain the Collaroy for ferry services, arguing that its mechanical differences to the other three Freshwater-class vessels were overstated, while its steel hull was in top condition.

“The Collaroy easily has 20 years ahead of it if they had decided to keep it, and it’s perfectly suited for the Manly run,” he said.

Furthermore, he said putting the Collaroy back on the Manly route would avoid a gap in the capability of the government-owned fleet to meet probable higher levels of passenger demand in coming years.

“It’s not cheap to keep a large ferry moored at Cockatoo Island, and any deterioration in the condition of the vessel will only compound the challenging economics for any future use of the vessel,” he said. “The government needs to stop procrastinating.”

Passengers aboard the Collaroy in August 2023, a month before it was retired from the Manly route.

Last year the government unveiled plans to electrify the state’s 40-strong fleet of ferries over the coming decade in a major shake-up that could result in the last three large Manly ferries retiring by 2030 as they are replaced with “Freshwater-like” vessels.

Taylor said there was a lack of transparency around the time frame for the delivery of the replacements for the Freshwater-class ferries.

Transport for NSW would only say that it was continuing to develop options for a future ferry fleet that was emissions-free.

The agency confirmed that the scheduled dry docking of the Freshwater ferry in August had been deferred to March next year due to limited availability at Garden Island, and the navy receiving docking priority.

Last year, the Narrabeen was also bumped from the queue at Garden Island by one of the navy’s defect-plagued Spanish-built warships. The ferry eventually entered the dry dock in February, before it was re-floated several months later and towed to Cockatoo Island for final repairs and sea trials.

Named after beaches in Sydney’s north, the first of the double-ended ferries, the Freshwater, was launched in 1982, followed by the Queenscliff less than a year later, the Narrabeen in 1984, and the Collaroy in 1988.

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.