THE State government has outlined its vision of upgrades to the ferry service while the City of Swan says it is interested in any proposal which can make it easier for visitors to experience the Swan Valley and Guildford.
State transport minister Rita Saffioti and Premier Roger Cook have dubbed their vision ‘Metronet on the Swan’ and said that it is still undertaking a detailed business case analysis on the proposal.
Mr Cook said that the past January was the busiest month ever in relation for ferry use in Perth, with 110,000 boardings in January for the Elizabeth Quay and Mends Street route, and noted that this was an exciting opportunity to explore expansion of the service.
“Imagine having a pint at the Raffles (hotel) and catching the ferry to the footy,” he said.
Ms Saffioti said the state government will be looking to build more ferries locally and also will be working closely with local governments to determine where the potential new stops could be.
City of Swan Mayor Tanya Richardson said she understands that the latest concept focused more on areas closer to the Perth CBD – such as Optus Stadium and Applecross – but still believes it could be beneficial.
“There’s no doubt it could have many benefits for communities along the Swan and Canning rivers, and Perth as a whole,” she said.
“From our point of view, we would be interested in any proposal that could make it easier for visitors to experience our world-class Swan Valley and historic Guildford.”