Year-long wait for ferries to Sydney’s new fish market revealed

Sydneysiders and tourists will have to wait at least a year before ferry services to the new $836 million fish market begin because a wharf has yet to be built, placing pressure on existing transport services and limited car parking.

While two wharves were built at a cost of $78 million near the entrance to Botany Bay without the prospect of ferry services, plans for a pontoon wharf at what is set to become a major tourist attraction in central Sydney remain in the design phase. That is despite years of forewarning about the new fish market, which will open on January 19.

The new fish market will have about 400 car park spots, requiring many visitors to catch buses or light rail services while lugging their seafood home.

Plans for a $30 million wharf are still in the design stage, which means that ferry services are not expected to start until 2027 – at least a year after the fish market opens to the public.

Under the plans, a pontoon wharf is proposed for the fish market’s eastern side. A floating pontoon that rises and falls with the tide makes it easier for passengers to alight and board vessels.

When ferries eventually start on the new route they are expected to provide a shuttle service between Barangaroo and the fish market for at least the first two years, part of which is to test demand.

Parramatta-class vessels, which have room for up to 200 passengers, or older First Fleet ferries are considered most likely to be used on the new route. The use of those vessels will place further pressure on the government-owned ferry fleet to service existing harbour and river routes.

The plans for a wharf are also complicated by the concerns of Glebe rowers, who fear a greater risk of collisions in Blackwattle Bay. The added challenge for transport authorities is sailing ferries into the bay, which is likely to require the removal of some maritime infrastructure.

Action for Public Transport spokesman Graeme Taylor said it could take at least a year before a new wharf was opened at the fish market.

“They could be six months talking to affected parties just to ascertain that they can get a ferry into the wharf. Then it has to go to tender, and then it has to be built,” he said.

“They are going to have some difficult discussions with surrounding users.”

Taylor said the absence of ferries when the fish market opens could turn into a nightmare for the government due to limited car spaces and the pressure on the nearby light rail line and two bus routes that service the precinct.

“It’s going to be so embarrassing – everyone will be asking where the new ferry services are when the fish market opens,” he said. “This is poor planning. The ferry service should have been there from day one. They have known for years.”

Taylor said the wharf would need to be built to accommodate a ferry up to 45 metres in length so that larger Emerald-class vessels, which can carry about 400 passengers, would eventually be able to use it.

Transport for NSW confirmed it expected the new wharf to be completed in 2027 and was working with Infrastructure NSW – the agency responsible for the new Sydney Fish Market – to plan and deliver the project, which would consider vessel size and capacity.

“Transport for NSW will monitor demand to determine the optimal vessel class and frequency to service the new wharf,” it said in a statement. “The new wharf will include integrated commercial and recreational berthing.”

The long-vaunted fish market promises to become a landmark destination. The government forecasts more than 6 million people will visit the new attraction each year – double the number heading to the old market next door.

Ahead of the market’s opening, the government has added an extra 150 weekly services to the L1 light rail line between Dulwich Hill and Central Station in the evenings, on weekends and public holidays. A light rail stop at Wentworth Park, which is close to the new fish market, is also undergoing a $40 million upgrade to improve accessibility.

Transport for NSW said it was taking a “holistic approach” to planning and had already rolled out service improvements for people wanting to access the fish market, citing the increase in light rail capacity.

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