Independent inspectors found a deformed plate,buckling to a crucial internal rod,and cracked coatings and welds near the front of the new Fairlight ferry in April not evident during an examination about four months earlier.
They warned that similar damage appeared to be on the Balmoral,one of the three new Emerald-class ferries which sail between Circular Quay and Manly. The Balmoral was not subject to the same inspection as the Fairlight in April.
The leaked report reveals damage to a new Manly ferry just months after it started services.Supplied
The leaked report by independent inspectors hired by Transdev,which operates the government-owned fleet,warns that the damage to the Fairlight’s port side “will only increase with time due to further fatigue of the area”.
The inspectors say that,while unlikely to compromise the 34-metre ferry’s structural integrity,it is likely that over time the damage will appear on the starboard side of the Fairlight as well as the two other new Manly ferries because they “share the same design and operational loadings”.
“Some evidence of this is already present on Balmoral,” the report says.
The inspectors who examined the Fairlight in April believe the damage to the plating near the front of the ferry was the result of flexing of its hull. They do not think the buckling was due to the ferry hitting a wharf or other structure.
“If the damage is simply repaired without addressing the cause,any repairs are likely to be ineffective in the long term,” the report said.
The new Emerald-class ferries are at the centre of a fierce debate over whether they can handle large swells near the entrance to Sydney Harbour as capably as the they are designed to replace on the Manly route.
Damage to the new Fairlight ferry.Supplied
A in February revealed captains of the new Manly ferries had been warned not to sail directly into waves near Sydney Heads in heavy swells in case their vessels became airborne.
Labor transport spokeswoman Jo Haylen said Manly ferry services had been cancelled and passengers stranded because the new vessels had serious systemic flaws.
“This damning internal report shows that normal repair works won’t be enough to fix the government’s defective overseas-built Emerald-class Manly ferries,” she said. “Their decision to purchase overseas-built ferries has led to a marked decline in the quality of ferry services.”
Transport for NSW in May of the Emerald-class vessels. The new ferries’ poor performance has also led to the agency taking “contractual actions” against Transdev.
Last month the Fairlight was temporarily removed from service after the ferry’s fire pump was found to be faulty.
The transport agency said in a statement that it was “closely monitoring” the performance of ferry services,especially the fleet’s reliability and availability.
The Fairlight is one of three new Emerald-class ferries that the government bought for the Manly route.Wolter Peeters
“We are focused on providing a reliable service for customers and will continue to work with the operator of the service to ensure the best outcome for customers,” it said.
Transdev said inspections in April confirmed the second-generation Emerald-class vessels were structurally sound,and the “minor cosmetic issues” identified had “no impact on safety”.
The costs of repairs were covered under warranty with the shipbuilder,the French company said.
However,Action for Public Transport spokesman Graeme Taylor said the larger Freshwater ferries needed to be permanently returned to the Manly route,and the smaller Emerald-class ferries used on easier inner harbour runs instead.
“As the Emeralds continue to flex,the welds on the hulls will start to crack and water will get into the hulls and the vessels will corrode from the inside out,” he said.
“They are simply not a strong enough to withstand the wave action at Sydney Heads.”
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