Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp is vowing to continue to advocate and liaise with the Minister for Transport to solve the woes plaguing the Stockton ferries.
But, the situation may be taken out of his hands.
The Stockton Community Group (SCG Inc) recently established an ePetition with the NSW Legislative Assembly to sort out the mess.
It’s calling on the man who oversees the operation on behalf of the state, John Graham, to take necessary action to provide two working ferries for the Stockton to Newcastle run.
Due to the age of current vessels MV Shortland and MV Hunter, which are almost four decades old, unplanned disruptions to local timetables have become common owing to staffing issues and breakdowns.
Even last month, the service was completely suspended for a week when the former experienced mechanical failure.
The latter’s been non-operational since February.
Mr Crakanthorp admitted he understood everyone’s frustrations.
“I’ve been working closely with Mr Graham to find an immediate solution to keep our ferry service consistent and reliable,” he said.
“On 2 January, an alternate vessel will be brought up from Sydney and moored in Newcastle.
“This will replace MV Shortland, should it need repairs, so we can keep a consistent, reliable and time-effective service up and running.
“Unfortunately, it’s the earliest date that we were able to secure a replacement.
“Until then, there are buses on standby if the ferry is unable to operate over the holiday period.
“The replacement vessel will be stationed in Newcastle until MV Hunter is back in service.
“At the moment, it’s currently in Sydney undergoing its overdue repairs.”
In the meantime, the SCG Inc hopes to gain enough signatures, 20,000, to ensure the matter is raised in the NSW Parliament after February.
“The ePetition was set-up after several letters to responsible ministers, including Port Stephens and Newcastle representatives, asking for a reliable two-ferry service to be resumed,” a spokesperson said.
“Despite writing directly to Minister for Transport John Graham on this matter on 7 December, we have yet to receive a reply.
“However, Mr Crakanthorp has agreed to present this petition to the Legislative Assembly if it succeeds in reaching target numbers.
“The service provides a vital link from Newcastle to Stockton and the Port Stephens LGA.
“It offers residents and commuters public transport for work, education and health care.
“While the service has been operational for 39 years, it was contracted to Newcastle Transport (Keolis Downer) in 2017.
“When the MV Shortland was out of action in November, it caused significant distress for commuters, who missed medical appointments, work, school/uni and travel connections.
“People with disabilities were particularly impacted and disadvantaged.
“Sadly, there’s no clear accountability from either Newcastle Transport or Transport for NSW for ferry maintenance and repair, sourcing a back-up ferry and replacement vessels.”
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