Clarence Valley News

Ulmarra fights to save its ferry

Published

4 months ago

27 March 2024

Liam

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Ulmarra fights to save its ferry

By Tim Howard

The picturesque sight of the ferry carrying traffic across the Clarence at Ulmarra, a feature of river life since the 1890s, could soon be no more.

On June 10 the operating certificate for the existing ferry expires and the 12-18 month lead time and estimated $4 million cost of replacing it will be a factor weighing heavily on investigations to decide on the future of the service.

On Monday Ulmarra residents flocked to Bailey Park, on the banks of the Clarence at Ulmarra, for the launch of a petition to the NSW Government aimed at saving the service.

Member for Clarence Richie Williamson has raised the petition, which he has promised to take to State Parliament to ensure the voice of the local community figures heavily in the deliberations on the ferry’s future.

The NSW Opposition transport spokesperson, Dave Layzell, joined Mr Williamson at the meeting and he was critical of the government for putting the service under threat.

“This is not about the numbers,” he said. “It is about that community infrastructure, it’s about making sure that people can get across there to work.

“It’s about making sure that people over there can get across and come across here for a pub lunch. It’s about making the place work.”

The future of the Ulmarra Ferry services. which has operated since the 1890s, is uncertain, with the current vessel’s licence due to expire on June 10.

He said the costs of running the ferry would have minimal impact on the budget bottom line.

“Infrastructure like this is not going to save the NSW budget,” he said.

“It’s not gonna make any difference to those people down there who are drinking their lattes. It’s gonna make a difference to you.”

Mr Williamson thanked the crowd who turned out on Monday for their passion and commitment in supporting the ferry petition.
“The community has turned out in en masse today to support the launch of this community petition and that’s what it is,” he said.

“It is a community petition and a community movement to tell the government how important this facility is here at Ulmarra.”

Ulmarra businesswoman Sue Kearney told a story about an Ulmarra resident who would be severely disadvantaged if the ferry service ends.

“I just spoke to a worker this morning who travelled four times a week across on the ferry, she said.

“For him it’s 1km to get to the ferry, but it will become a 78km round trip, four days a week.”

She said the ferry was an important feature for the village.

“The Ulmarra Ferry is a vital part of the local community, which is primarily a farming and tourism community,” Ms Kearney said.

“School children, workers, cyclists, tourists and especially farmers use it daily as well as it being a life-saving route in times of emergency.

“Ulmarra is one of few historical riverport towns left in the country with the ferry being a major drawcard for tourists and boost to the local economy.”

Cr Steve Pickering said the government was making moves to shut down the ferry service without any consultation with the community.

“We find out now there’s been no consultation with the community,” he said.

“We’ve all found out through rumours that this ferry is going to be taken away from us and we found out on Friday, from Transport for NSW that the end date is June 10.”

Ulmarra residents gathered in Bailey Park, Ulmarra on Monday to fight any moves to shut down the village’s ferry service.

He urged the community to take the fight to the government.

“We’ve got to fight hard, we’ve got to come together as a community,” he said.

“It’s a vital piece of infrastructure for so many people. If we lived in Sydney, they would be building a tunnel for us they would be spending $30 billion on a tunnel for us to get from one side of the river to the other.”

He said the ferry united the two communities of Southgate and Ulmarra.

“We’ve got Southgate on one side, we’ve got Ulmarra on the other,” he said.

“We’ve got farmers with farm property on both sides of this river that will have to do an 80km round trip to get to their property on the other side without this ferry.”

A transport for NSW spokesperson said its investigations have revealed the vessel currently doing the job has reached its end of life and other factors, such as declining use of the ferry and siltation in the river have also had an impact.

“The investigation found the current vessel, which has been in operation for more than 70 years, has reached the end of its useful life and cannot be used past June 10, when its certificate to operate expires,” the spokesperson said.

“Repeated and ongoing siltation on the Southgate side of the river has had significant impact on the reliability of the current service, with the water often too shallow for the ferry to pass.

“These and other matters, including community impacts, will all be considered as part of the investigations into the ferry operations. Transport for NSW will keep the community informed as these investigations progress.”

Government figures show the ferry services costs the taxpayer around $800,000 a year to run and since the opening of the Balun Bindarray bridge in Grafton in 2019, use of the ferry has dropped by around 46%

In 2021-22 the ferry averaged 73 crossings of the river a day, carrying an average of 88 cars a day or 1.36 cars for every trip.

This equated to a cost to the taxpayer of $22 for every vehicle that uses the ferry service, when it is available.

The spokesperson said the impact of closing the ferry service on emergency services would be minimal.

He said emergency service vehicles would only use the Ulmarra-Southgate ferry on the rare occasions where all other available routes are impassable.

“Most of the emergency vehicles that service Ulmarra and Southgate are based in Grafton,” he said.

“For emergencies near Ulmarra, these vehicles use the Balun Bindarray Bridge in Grafton and Big River Way, and for emergencies near Southgate they use the Lawrence Road.
“Changes to the ferry operations would not change these preferred routes.”

He said Ulmarra has its own SES unit and is the headquarters of the Rural Fire Service Fire Control Centre for the Clarence Valley.

SES and Fire and Rescue NSW units serving Southgate operate from Grafton.

Mr Williamson said the petition was available from many local businesses and could also be obtained by contacting him office at clarence@parliament.nsw.gov.au or phoning 6643 1244.

For more local Clarence Valley news, click here.

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Clarence Valley News

Community group’s council audit delayed

Published

2 days ago

24 July 2024

Liam

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Community group’s council audit delayed

By Tim Howard

A community group supposedly the target of a Clarence Valley Council audit in February 2024 over the cost of its interactions with council has pointed out the audit has not been completed. The General Manager, Laura Black commented, “I anticipate it will take a couple of months.”

The secretary of Yamba Community Action Network (YambaCAN), Lynne Cairns, said this week’s council business paper included a report, Council Meeting Checklist – update on actions taken.

The report revealed staff had not completed the action, the result of a council resolution at the February 2024 council meeting.

“On page 175 of the business paper there is a note next to the item,” Ms Cairns said.

“It reads: ‘Staff responsible for collating information have been diverted to prepare and respond to legal action taken against council by an executive member of YambaCan’.”

Ms Cairns said this was incorrect as no-one on the YambaCAN executive had taken legal action against the council.

She was aware of some matters concerning the council a member of YambaCAN had taken to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

“These matters were not matters concerning YambaCAN and the member who brought them was not acting for YambaCAN,” Ms Cairns said.

“I’m concerned this is some disinformation that somehow YambaCAN is responsible for delaying council’s investigation of its actions.

“YambaCAN is requesting an apology from council for the incorrect information in the business paper.”

The resolution read: that the general manager advises, by way of a report the:

1. allocation of resources required to respond to GIPAs submitted by YambaCan since January 2022.

2. allocation of resources required to respond to RFI (Request for Information) submitted by YambaCan since January 2022.

3. any cost implications of delays to delivering the Yamba Community Precinct project since January 2022.

The matter was passed 5-4, but debate was fiery.

Cr Karen Toms brought it as a notice of motion to alert the public to the costs the group’s GIPA requests and requests for information were incurring.

But other councillors said these costs were part of council operating openly and transparently.

Cr Greg Clancy was concerned the motion focused on just one group when council records showed it was responsible for a fraction of the requests.

“As seen in the listing of GIPA applications on council’s website, there are 22 GIPA applications and only six of these refer to YambaCAN,” he told the February meeting.

He also revealed YambaCAN had lodged a request for information, however were informed that there were 290 requests for information previously lodged by others that were waiting to be processed.

Ms Cairns was concerned that with the council going into caretaker mode on August 16, ahead of the September local government elections, council could not effectively decide on the matter.

There will be report on the outcome of this matter and other matters at council in next week’s edition of The Northern Rivers Times.

For more Yamba news, click here.

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Clarence Valley News

Clarence Valley Country Muster

Published

1 week ago

17 July 2024

Liam

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Clarence Valley Country Muster

If you are missing the country sounds from Tamworth, fret not, as the Clarence Valley Country Muster is just around the corner.

Expanded from two days to four, the event will start on July 25^th and go to July 28^th at 11 Coulters Lane, Ulmarra, near Grafton.

You will enjoy artists such as Jade Hurley, John, Lloyd, Jack Watson, Lindsay Waddington and Jamie Davis.

Special guest artists, Paul Ricketts, Winner of the Thornton Young Award and Nay McAplin, Winner of the Walk Ups in July, will also make an appearance.

Your comperes for the main stage will be Terry Gordon OAM and Ken ‘Chainsaw’ Lindsay.

And bring those nerves with you, as from 10.30am on Thursday, aspiring artists can take their turn on the microphone, with John Lloyd hosting the walk-ups.

All acts will be vying for a gig at next July’s event.

Now is the time to grab a group of friends or family members and book your spot by heading to their website www.cvcmuster.com.au or calling Wendy Gordon on 0432 741947.

Gates open for early arrival at the muster site on Tuesday, July 23.

For $120 per person, you can enjoy a full week of camping, camaraderie and entertainment at one of the best value-for-money festivals in the Clarence Valley.

Check out is Tuesday, July 30.

If you have a fire pit, bring it along as wood will be supplied.

There will be songs around the campfire, best dressed Christmas and party games and a big finale on the Sunday.

For more local Clarence Valley news, click here.

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Clarence Valley News

NSW BUDGET: NOTHING FOR RICHMOND AND CLARENCE VALLEYS COST OF LIVING CRISIS, BUT SOME WINS

Published

4 weeks ago

27 June 2024

Liam

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NSW BUDGET: NOTHING FOR RICHMOND AND CLARENCE VALLEYS COST OF LIVING CRISIS, BUT SOME WINS

The NSW Labor Government’s 18 June Budget does nothing to alleviate the growing cost of living problems in the Richmond and Clarence Valleys, although there is some good news for the region, according to Clarence Nationals MP Richie Williamson.

“Everywhere I go, every local I talk to, they all say the same thing: we’re struggling with rising costs – why isn’t the Government helping?” Mr Williamson said.

Mr Williamson said that he was all for working cooperatively with the Government, but there was mounting evidence Sydney Labor is “out of town, out of touch and the budget is out of control”.

“Calls to reinstate the $250 fuel card for regional seniors, students and apprentices have fallen on deaf ears, but Sydney seniors now enjoy $2-a-day Gold Passes on Sydney’s massive and massively subsidised public transport system as well as toll relief for Sydneysiders,” Mr Williamson said.

“Calls to save the Ulmarra ferry from Labor’s axe met a similar fate, at the same time as Labor is buying a fleet of new ferries for Sydney and took over another Sydney ferry service that has lower patronage than Ulmarra to Southgate.”

Mr Williamson did acknowledge the Government’s ongoing funding of the previous Liberals and Nationals Government’s Grafton Base Hospital rebuild, the allocation of $6.2m in the fight against White Spot disease in local rivers as well as a “welcome” $90m boost for the Resilient Homes Program, following the 2022 floods.

“These are crumbs compared to what Labor is lavishing on its Sydney heartland,” Mr Williamson cautioned.

“The Richmond and Clarence Valleys provide the timber for Sydney homes, the beef for Sydney dinners as well as the sugar and milk for Sydney cappuccinos.

“That needs to be acknowledged and we deserve our fair share,” Mr Williamson concluded.”

For more Richmond Valley news, click here.

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