Sydney’s new ferries running late amid fresh safety concerns

Sydney’s new,problem-plagued River Class ferries will enter service almost a year late,with the NSW government blaming the pandemic for the delay,as fresh concerns emerge the boats can stall under emergency conditions.

The 10 vessels,which were initially scheduled to be operating on Sydney Harbour by mid-2020,have not yet been given the green light to enter service,with testing crew recently warning the ferries can stall when put into reverse during emergency stops in extreme conditions.

Two of the new River Class ferries.

Two of the new River Class ferries.John Bennett

A Transport for NSW spokesman said the government was aware of concerns “the vessels may stall under one specific operating scenario”.

The government has blamed the lengthy delay of the River Class rollout on the coronavirus pandemic,saying the vessels had been shipped to Australia earlier than first planned from Indonesia,where more manufacturing work was meant to be completed.

Asbestos was discovered in the boats when they arrived in NSW last year,before theHerald revealed that they would not be able to pass under two bridges on the Parramatta River if commuters were seated on the top deck.

Private ferry operator Transdev,which signed a nine-year $1.3 billion contract to operate Sydney’s ferries in 2019,has been working with engine and gearbox manufacturers to correct the River Class’ control systems,with more trials underway.

“As with any new fleet,teething issues like this are anticipated during trial stages,and is a normal part of any commissioning process for new fleet,” a Transport for NSW spokesman said.

“As part of the current ongoing testing and trials of the new River Class vessels,Transdev is purposely testing the vessels beyond normal operating conditions to provide increased confidence in the safety and operational performance of the vessels.”

The spokesman said it was anticipated the ferries would begin passenger services on the harbour and Parramatta River in “coming months”,though no specific date has been confirmed.

The River Class ferries are not the only passenger vessel impacted by the pandemic,with the government adding that COVID-19 had also “significantly impacted the production” of the Emerald Class ferries,which are slated to replace the iconic Freshwater ferries in mid-2021.

The government said some “improvements” had been identified with the Emerald Class ferries,though it was yet to reveal what those issues were.

“All identified improvements for the new Emeralds are now being considered and assessed first before being implemented,” a Transport for NSW spokesman spokesman.

“Sydney Ferries operator Transdev will know more about what improvements will be made following the completion of this process.”

Deputy opposition leader and regional jobs spokeswoman Yasmin Catley said the problems with the new boats could have been avoided if the government had chosen to build them in Australia.

“If these had been designed and built locally,we wouldn’t be stuck with dud,defective boats,” Ms Catley said. “These boats have spent seven months tied to the wharf because they don’t work and they aren’t safe.”

But Mr Constance said the boats were designed by Sydney-based vessel designer Incat Crowther.

“For Yasmin Catley to describe these new ferries as ‘cheap junk’ is an insult to the 54 people in Port Macquarie who have worked on these ferries from design to fit out,” Mr Constance said.

The Transport for NSW spokesman said the government would not incur any extra cost due to the extra work being carried out on the ferries.

Maritime Union of Australia assistant secretary Paul Garrett said there were several “serious safety defects” that were yet to be rectified.

“After dealing with asbestos and serious height issues,these ferries are 10 examples of why transport assets should not be built overseas,” Mr Garrett said.

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Tom Rabe is the WA political correspondent,based in Perth.

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