The 74-year-old Ulmarra-Southgate vehicular ferry is to be decommissioned, with the ferry service to make its final run across the Clarence River before the last low tide on June 10, 2024.
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Transport for NSW Director North Region Anna Zycki said there were numerous factors that influenced the decision to retire the service, which largely came down to low usage, reliability, the ferry's age and the availability of suitable alternative transport routes.
"There's such a build-up of silt on the Southgate side of the river now that for hours each day the ferry can't run because it gets stuck on the riverbed," Ms Zycki said.
"The river is constantly changing course and there is nothing we can do to prevent the silt building up. We've dredged in the past, but it's only a matter of a couple of weeks and the silt is back. It's costly to do and has no lasting benefit."
Ms Zycki said the age and condition of the ferry was another factor.
"The existing ferry has reached the end of its serviceable life," she said.
"Every three years vehicular ferries are taken out of service for mandatory major maintenance that usually takes about three months.
"Because the existing ferry is now so old and requires so much repair, such a large restoration project would take about 18 months and cost an estimated $5 million, which is around a million dollars more than building a new vehicular ferry.
"It's effectively beyond repair, so this service would have been closed for that length of time anyway."
The decommissioning of vehicular ferries is not unusual.
"Many will remember ferries between Southgate and Brushgrove, at Harwood, Maclean-Ashby, Sportsmans Creek at Lawrence, Iluka, Goodwood Island, Seelands-Junction Hill and, way back, between Grafton and South Grafton," Ms Zycki said.
"As road transport networks have improved, ferries at these locations have all gone out of service and people have adapted to the change.
"When the new Balun Bindarray Bridge opened in Grafton in late 2019, patronage of the Ulmarra ferry immediately dropped by 46 per cent. It was anticipated that demand for the ferry would decline once the new bridge opened so it would largely replace the ferry service.
"The patronage hasn't returned and the ferry - when river conditions allow it to operate - now carries on average about one vehicle per trip, costing taxpayers $22 for each vehicle journey.
"The ferry is well past its use-by date and can no longer be relied on to provide a reliable and efficient service, especially when compared with the bridge. It is sad but the Ulmarra ferry has to be decommissioned.
"Transport for NSW understands the importance the community has placed on this ferry and will work with Clarence Valley Council and the community on suitable ways to commemorate its long service."
