Australia debates safety of ferry terminal at Matilda Bay
Western Australian authorities plan to build a ferry terminal in the popular Matilda Bay recreation area in Perth, despite objections from the Safety on Swan group regarding the safety of swimmers and water sports enthusiasts. Construction of the Metronet project has not yet begun. The future route is to connect Matilda Bay and the southern suburb of Applecross with a floating pontoon at Elizabeth Quay, ABC News Australia reports.
The Western Australian Planning Commission approved the Matilda Bay site in December last year. An analysis commissioned by the state government identified the site opposite the University of Western Australia as the safest location for the terminal. The document states that all water activities there will be able to continue after adjustments that have not yet been finalised.
Conflicting risk assessments
At the same time, Safety on Swan commissioned a separate report from risk assessor and Riskfacilitator founder Paul Chivers. Its findings state that frequent ferry services in a busy recreational waterway would create a serious risk of injury or death to children, inexperienced sailors and other people on the water as a result of collisions with a vessel.
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Chivers believes that people in the water would be too close to ferries and that the government would not be able to adequately mitigate these risks. He considers an alternative waterfront site, where the JoJo's restaurant previously operated, safer: in his assessment, ferry routes and water recreation areas could be better separated there.
The state government's position
Transport Minister Rita Saffioti disagreed with the critics. According to her, the government study compared options using environmental, operational, safety and transport criteria and identified Matilda Bay as the best and safest option.
The government analysis described the JoJo's location as unacceptable from the safety perspective of windsurfers and kiteboarders, as the ferry route would cross vessel traffic lanes in Melville Waters. In addition, the site is farther from the university campus, near a marine park with significant seagrass beds and a Bush Forever site. For Matilda Bay, a wide ferry exclusion zone, reduced ferry speeds in the bay and construction of a 40-metre jetty could be introduced so that swimmers and children can remain closer to shore.
