These $78m Sydney wharves opened without ferries. Now there’s a second chance

The NSW government is making another attempt to entice a private operator to run ferry services between Sydney’s new $78 million ferry wharves in Botany Bay, less than two years after a previous shot at drumming up interest failed.

The state’s transport department has released a new expression of interest for privately operated services between the wharves at La Perouse and Kurnell, pitching it as a chance for a “commercially viable operation” that could tap tourism growth and a demand for experiences.

While the wharves are well used by fishers and boaties, they have yet to attract a private venture to put on ferry services despite Transport for NSW attempting in 2024 to reel in an operator. If an operator was found, a trip between La Perouse and Kurnell would take less than 20 minutes.

Named the Kamay ferry wharves, the two piers jut as far as 230 metres into Botany Bay and were opened early last year. The cost of building them more than quadrupled from an original forecast of $18 million.

The troubled project was intended to clear the way for the resumption of ferry trips across the entrance to the bay for the first time since 1974 when the original wharves were destroyed during a storm.

Action for Transport spokesperson Graeme Taylor said the Kurnell-La Perouse ferry services was unlikely to be sustainable for a private operator without a subsidy because demand initially would be “very low”.

“It will take a lot of advertising to build a market for it, and it’s just not commercially viable. It has to be subsidised and should be on Opal,” he said.

Transport for NSW said it was undertaking a refreshed market engagement process to better understand industry capability and appetite for privately operated services between Kurnell and La Perouse.

Asked whether it would offer incentives to attract an operator, the agency said it was engaging with the market to understand which models were viable and sustainable.

“At this stage, the focus is on a fully private operating model. While integration with the Opal network is not being considered for this stage, Transport remains committed to exploring safe, reliable, and commercially sustainable services that meet customer demand,” it said.

The call for expression of interest closes on March 30, and a decision is expected by the end of next month.

At Sydney’s busiest ferry hub in Circular Quay, wharf two was closed on March 2 for about five weeks for repairs, resulting in Manly Fast Ferry vessels relocating to wharf six and Watsons Bay and Double Bay services shifting to wharf four.

As part of the repairs, wharf five will be closed from late April to mid-May, wharf four from mid-June to mid-July and wharf six from mid-July to mid-August.

Transport for NSW said the work was staged so that only one wharf was closed at a time, and included refreshing anti-skid surfaces, replacing metal plates and hinges, installing refurbished bollards and repainting piles.

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