DIRECT ferries from Manly to North Sydney or Barangaroo, extra stops for the Parramatta ferry, and a west of the bridge ''harbour hopper'' are all potential new routes for Sydney ferries after the state government said it was willing to redraw the route map of the harbour.
But as the government revealed its timetable for private operators to take over the ferries, it faces a waterfront battle with unions, who say privatisation will lead to service cuts, job losses, and the axing of unprofitable routes.
The Premier, Barry O'Farrell, and the Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian, yesterday called for expressions of interest from companies wanting to run the ferries. They said the government would retain control over routes and costs, but hoped a new operator would be in place by the end of next year.
''This is about providing more services to more people. It is about delivering better services for commuters, a better deal for taxpayers; it is about improving this city's public transport,'' Mr O'Farrell said.
The Labor Party supported the ''franchising'' of Sydney Ferries, where companies would run services on terms dictated by government, under Nathan Rees but reversed its position when Kristina Keneally became premier.
But the Coalition has gone further than Labor's initial proposal.
''If you think commuters have a demand to move from one part of our great city to another, whether it is from the inner west to the north, or from the north to the eastern suburbs, come and talk to us,'' Ms Berejiklian said.
Richard Ford, the managing director of the only private operator on the harbour, Manly Fast Ferries, runs services from Manly to Circular Quay but would like to add services from to North Sydney and Barangaroo.
''There's a couple of new routes you could look at because the city is changing,'' Mr Ford said.
While the 2008-09 bidding process under Labor did not ask for new route proposals, it is understood bidding companies such as Veolia and Transfield nevertheless offered their own ideas. Proposals talked about included an extra Meadowbank stop on the Parramatta service, a ferry stopping at Nielsen Park and Watsons Bay, before crossing the Heads to Manly, and more harbour runs not stopping at Circular Quay.
The Sydney branch secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, Paul McAleer, said the union was opposed to privatisation but would engage with the government. ''We support any processes which improve Sydney ferries and at the same time protects our members' jobs, their rights and entitlements,'' Mr McAleer said.
Ms Berejiklian has not explained how the government would procure new ferries.
The franchising proposal has the strong support of industry groups, the Tourism and Transport Forum and Infrastructure Partnerships Australia.
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