The Western Australian Government is calling on WA industry to design and build a new fleet of modern vessels as part of its plans to expand ferry services on the Swan River.
Just as the METRONET C-series trains were manufactured locally in WA, the State Government is set to ensure the ferry fleet supports quality local manufacturing jobs.
“As part of the business case development, we’re keen to see what innovative and modern ferry designs are available, and importantly, what capacity there is to manufacture the ferries right here in Western Australia,” said Transport Minister Rita Saffioti.
“Feedback from the EOI will help us better understand the capability of the local vessel industry and progress next steps in planning an expanded ferry system.”
An Expression of Interest (EOI) process will begin tomorrow, with industry being invited to put forward designs, as the Government prepares a business case for the expanded services.
The EOI provides a number of parameters for the design of the new ferry fleet including:
- vessels up to 25 metres in length;
- a minimum of 130 seats, including 40-50 external seats;
- passenger toilet facilities;
- bike storage; and
- options for electric powered vessels.
The WA Government also announced its plan to expand ferry services would be rolled out in a number of phases to ensure services remained sustainable as new ferries were progressively manufactured.
The EOI for ferry design will be available from the Tenders WA website from tomorrow, closing 25 November 2024 (www.tenders.wa.gov.au(link is external)
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