Last week the NSW Government called for private operators to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in running a new peak hour service between Sydney and Parramatta. This is the result of enormous lobbying led by Tanya Gadiel, State Member for Parramatta together with Parramatta Council and the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce

So what will a commuter ferry service mean to businesses in Parramatta?

Firstly, it will assist in enticing highly skilled employees who live on the lower north shore and inner west to work in Parramatta. With Sydney’s appalling road network and inefficient rail network, skilled professionals from the lower north shore and inner west face a nightmare in traveling to and from Parramatta. An efficient ferry service along the Parramatta River picking up at places like Milsons Point, Birchgrove and Woolwich will make commuting to Parramatta more viable for the professional workforce we need to employ.

Secondly, businesspeople in Parramatta need to attend meetings in Sydney. Rather than incur the cost of city parking, the congested traffic or the often dirty and non-air conditioned trains, a regular commuter ferry service is much more appealing. The same applies to Sydney CBD based businesspeople who need to attend meetings in Parramatta.

With the continued growth in corporate and government bodies based in Parramatta representing an estimated 30,000 employees in Parramatta over the next 20 years, the Chamber of Commerce sees a regular and efficient ferry service along the Parramatta River as a vital step in solving western Sydney’s transport woes.

The EOI closes on 30 January 2009. If there is interest from private operators the service will go to tender in March and a full commuter service could be up and running by the end of 2009. 

The Parramatta Chamber calls on the NSW Government to maintain the course and ensure that such a service is implemented, and we will continue to monitor its progress and fight for that eventuality.