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An affordable high-speed, low-wash, waterborne passenger transport route between Woy Woy and the Gosford foreshore would link an estimated 40,000 residents on the Peninsula to everything our regional capital seeks to offer, without adding to the expense of road traffic congestion or the need for high-rise car parks.
With our shared commitment towards net-zero emissions by 2050 β§, the cost of operating a motor vehicle may eventually become a significant economic challenge for many Australians, including essential services workers who might prefer to commute on 21st Century mass transit systems in larger numbers and over shorter distances. This sets the stage for a unique series of opportunities for the Brisbane Water that will extend well beyond any transport portfolio.
1a. The balance between affordability and lifestyle will continue to see ongoing migration from congested cities to greener settlements in nearby regional centres.
1b. A demonstration of foresight with local transport infrastructure will encourage smart businesses seeking to capitalise upon the consequent productivity gains to do the same.
1c. The race to participation via effective leadership will then give us our timings.
2a. Designing a multi-stage proposal for transport infrastructure that respects the practical limitations of our unique terrain, the ever present aspirations of those who will eventually commit to live and work here, and our wider obligation to meet shared sustainability targets requires a seminal vision.
2b. Our temperate climate, abundant wildlife, and easy access to waterways speak to our strengths.
3a. We believe a community project of this magnitude presents us with a spectacular opportunity to showcase renewed focus and cooperation across the region.
If you live or work on the Central Coast then we invite you to join the public conversation by completing our online survey and subscribing to our email updates for exclusive news, insights, and opportunities to get involved.
Our journey together
Our community project proposal seeks to map out a journey and not just a destination. While we believe in beginning with both what is available and what we can afford, we also see value in setting goals and investing in relationships. Candela is one of several manufacturers at the technological forefront of urban waterborne transport who have demonstrated a willingness to consider our long-term requirements.
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NSW Central Coast
The following eight advantages highlight the benefits of integrating Brisbane Waters WaterBUS into the regional transportation matrix.
β Scenic route: The waterbus offers a more scenic and relaxing journey, which can be a more pleasant experience than a train or bus ride.
β Reduced congestion: Utilising the waterbus can help alleviate both road and railway congestion, offering a more relaxed and less crowded alternative.
β Recreational value: The waterbus ride can be enjoyable and recreational, providing passengers with a unique travel experience that includes fresh air and panoramic views.
β Tourism boost: A waterbus service can attract tourists, promoting local attractions and boosting the local economy.
β Environmental benefits: Water transportation can be more environmentally friendly, especially with the use of green technologies or renewable energy sources.
β Convenience: For residents and visitors near the water, the waterbus can be more conveniently located compared to train stations or bus routes, providing easier access to the transport system.
β Unique experience: The waterbus offers a unique travel experience that differentiates it from the standard train/bus/car journey, adding a novelty factor that can appeal to both locals and visitors.
β Potential for growth: The waterbus service can be expanded to include additional routes and stops, providing more flexibility and coverage compared to expensive land-based transport infrastructure. Consider becoming a member for exclusive benefits and priority access.
The increase in regional active transport, and in particular foot traffic, from a high-speed, low-wash, waterbourne passenger transport network would be expected to promote a broader sense of shared obligation and contribute to the economic revitalisation of the Gosford City Centre in line with established goals outlined in Central Coast Regional Plan 2041 β§.
You've got questions? Be among the first to take the discussion into our online forum.
The underlying assumption here is that the real-dollar cost of owning and operating a private motor vehicle in Australia will inevitably increase with time despite the best efforts of our policy makers.
While also debatable, the timeline for the anticipated effects upon our consumer spending patterns will largely depend upon a number of external factors including the competitive demand for limited resources amongst the rapidly advancing economies of neighbouring India, China, and South East Asia.
Irrespective of our conclusions, it remains prudent of us as an emerging global city region to begin to think strategically and explore new and innovative ways of maintaining our current lifestyle well into the future and not at the continued expense of our living standards or our natural habitat.
Where we use the term "waterbus" rather than "ferry" it is because the former conveys an important maritime concept best explained by looking at the City of Brisbane in Queensland which happens to be situated on either side of the Brisbane River (not to be confused with the Brisbane Water in New South Wales). Ferries initially travelled cross-river until it became evident there was more value to offer commuters by travelling both upriver and down-river in the process, leading to the formation of a "maritime highway".
Given our preliminary observation that more than 75% of weekday peak hour congestion along Brisbane Water Drive is single passenger vehicular traffic, the considered option of an affordable domestic waterbus route supported by local bus routes is anticipated to be a welcome relief for both daily commuters and local businesses alike.
From our coastal plain to our hinterland, the Central Coast is comprised of a unique patchwork communities that collectively inform our regional identity.
In addition to supporting our land-based passenger transport system, the considered option of an affordable regional waterbus network would contribute to the renewal of our coastal communities, from the Brisbane Water in the south to the Tuggerah Lakes in the north.
Inherent benefits would include improved access to health, education, employment, freight, and other essential services.
Our waterways on the Central Coast are regarded as a key regional asset and their sustainable management and use contribute to the quality of life for local communities.
A regional waterbus network would be operating primarily over smooth water and efforts to minimise potential disruption to local ecosystems, whether from coastal erosion, urban pollution, and waterside development pressure, deserve responsible public oversight.
Informed decision-making will also require a regional strategy to establish a coordinated perspective from which local community projects can then safely push-off and in turn lend back their support.
The process of implementing a regional waterbus network will encourage our land-based counterparts to engage on the specific issues at hand.
Indeed land-based passenger transport will have an important role to play in plans to develop the Gosford Waterfront given the lack of car parking space and the anticipated increase in both pedestrian and vehicular traffic congestion.
While public plans for a Gosford Marina have been ongoing since 1997, they remain largely premature to the extent that a viable regional waterbus route between Woy Woy and the Gosford Waterfront has intrinsic planning priority.
If our largest population centre by both urban area and population density happens to be on The Peninsula then it only makes sense to meaningfully connect its residents to our regional capital.
Furthermore, this challenge will not be solved in any sustainable manner by widening our roads for more cars, electric or otherwise.
A regional waterbus network would also ensure that coastal communities without proximity to the railway network received priority waterborne access, point-to-point, to essential services via the only two geographical locations on the Central Coast where our road, railway, and waterway networks all meaningfully converge: Woy Woy and Wyong.
There are a number of ways you can contribute to the conversation:
Download the white paper and complete the online survey.
Subscribe to email updates for exclusive news, insights, and opportunities to get involved.
Become a member of the Brisbane Waters WaterBUS community to post comments, access the online forum, and more!
An incredible amount of effort spanning more than three decades has gone into the study and preparation and of the Brisbane Waters WaterBUS community project proposal. There is still much to be done.
We hope you find it as interesting and as useful as we did in researching it and bringing it to you.
Thank you for choosing to join us on this shared journey.
Sincerely,
The Team π
Brisbane Waters WaterBUS
In 1991 Woy Woy resident John Highton β§ (1957-2024) drafted a study for a local ferry service operating within the waterways of the Central Coast. He approached a number of stakeholders including the Gosford Chamber of Commerce and bank finance was available. At a time when tenders were being invited for public transport via bus routes, an innovative application for ferry routes was unfortunately not a part of the planning considered for the Brisbane Water. In hindsight, a contract at the time would have required he engage directly with the general public to hear their opinion, as they remain the proprietors of any public service.
Stage 1: Startup (6-12 months)
Kick-off
Run public survey
Assemble a team
Apply for public grant
Planning
Identify local stakeholders
Establish business deliverables
Map key performance indicators
Launch
Membership program
Calendar of events
Feasibility study
Stage 2: Contracts
Stage 3: Operational
Stage 4: Feedback
Everyone is welcome to attend β§, ask questions, and meet the team!
A future proof local transport system that is cost effective to the public purse and of benefit to every individual through the provision of a considered choice for personal mobility.
No. The NSW State Government is responsible for public transport.
A regional waterbus network will provide both socio-economic and environmental benefit. It should be owned and operated by Central Coast locals as they will be more inclined to both use it and care about its implementation.
To protect this investment we would like the NSW State Government to provide charging points, designate maritime corridors for risk management, and issue a request for tender.
[π‘ Consider becoming a project member β§ for exclusive benefits, priority access to the project, and the opportunity to play an integral part in a process of positive change right here on the Central Coast.]
There are several reasons:
It is the most significant route because Woy Woy is a natural transport hub. Both Woy Woy and Wyong are the only two locations on the Central Coast where road, railway, and waterway networks all meaningfully converge.
If our largest population centre by both urban area and population density happens to be on The Peninsula then it only makes sense to meaningfully connect its residents to our regional capital.
There is increasing traffic congestion on Brisbane Water Drive and at the West Gosford interchange.
[This is a superb question! It is covered in our white paper βThe Road Less Travelled: Exploring transport options for the public on the NSW Central Coast.β available for download by clicking here β§.]
It depends on who you are, your personal preference, and your destination. A local waterbus is one of several ways to reduce the impact of rising petrol prices on the regional economy.
While the regionβs buses will have an increasing role to play in providing communities with access to local railway stations and other services, there could be unanticipated challenges with an increased transport burden.
The weight restriction on the railway route between Gosford and Sydney limits the number of passenger carriages per train due to the incline from the Hawkesbury River to Cowan.
Increasing the number of trains on the network could exacerbate delays during unscheduled stoppages, leading to longer and more widespread disruptions due to the nature of railway tracks.
Constructing a new railway station or adding a third railway line is costly, time-consuming, and involves significant opportunity costs.
The railway network operates at a direct financial loss when it comes to passenger transport.
Coastal communities around the Brisbane Water, the Tuggerah lakes, and Lake Macquarie lack convenient and cost-effective public transport access to the railway network and essential services compared to inland areas.
Yes. The next one is Ettalong to Gosford.
We have corresponded with both NRMA Marine and Central Coast Ferries and received positive responses. It is important that established operators are appreciated and have a role to play in this community project proposal.
We would like the NSW State Government to designate maritime corridors for risk management. This will give the waterbus right-of-way within those corridors (imagine a bicycle meandering on an expressway). By increasing maritime domain awareness, a regional waterbus network will serve to make our waterways safer for everyone.
Several members of the general public have already volunteered their professional services which is fantastic.
You can help by downloading our white paper and completing the online survey β§.
You can also help by continuing to spreading the word in conversation as well as joining our project membership program β§.
You will enjoy exclusive benefits, priority access to the project, and the opportunity to play an integral part in a process of positive change right here on the Central Coast.
We are already planning local events for project members such as speaking events, morning teas, dinners, focus groups, and even recreational activities like hiking and kayaking.
If you or your organisation would like to offer your services then please let us know.
An important part of Central Coast history will be on display for the general public later in the year.
This draft pre-feasibility study was used to generate interest in a local ferry service within the waterways of the Central Coast in 1991.
Land and climate observations were considered as part of a rather astute and forward-thinking plan for multiple waterborne routes.
Accompanying the draft pre-feasibility study was a cash flow analysis which demonstrated the profitability of a local ferry service.
The Stolkcraft Fast Ferry had a hull specially designed to sit above the water at speed. There are now better hull designs for the task.
Never before seen by the public. Modular floating commercial terminals that leave little impact upon the land, or the view for that matter.
Public plans for a Gosford Marina have been ongoing since 1997. Perhaps a domestic waterbus route deserves priority.
Sample pages from a beautiful 28-page invitation to open speech and civil discourse.
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Our journey together
We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the Central Coast region. We recognise their continuing connection to land and sea. We pay our respects to all elders past, present, and emerging.