IT’S time that the pricing of the Settlement Point and Hibbard ferries should be frozen at the current rate.
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Any increases will cause residents of the North Shore to incur increased costs in maintaining and improving their properties due to tradespeople and the like being slugged high costs for ferry transport.
These costs would obviously be passed on to the residents; whereas those in other areas of Port Macquarie would not be affected. It would particularly impact those on low incomes and pensioners.
For example, my mother who is now well advanced in years has visitors; family and friends who would suffer the increased cost.
Some of these visitors are also on low incomes and pensioners. We have found that even our personal visitors and workers are even now reluctant to travel to us on the North Shore because of the cost involved.
This will inevitably alienate us from the rest of Port Macquarie. As pensioners, we are already struggling to make ends meet.
We believe the annual fee of approximately $53 plus 80c per trip is more than enough to provide the service as in recent years we have seen a marked increase in North Shore residents. Any further impost, especially to pensioners, is to our minds a further unnecessary burden.
The ongoing concern is, that ferry charges are being increased annually as it is; will the new charge be set for a period or will we suffer more annual increase?
The question is; is the ferry most clicked on the net service a public utility provided for all of Port Macquarie residents and all of NSW and her visitors or just North Shore residents.
The State Government is now proclaiming that money is being made available for infrastructure. Maybe then Local Council local member needs to be lobbying to either fund a bridge to do away with both ferries and associated costs once and for all, in recent times work has started on bringing a sewerage system to the North Shore and maybe before too long town water may be made available and the future in ecotourism.
Does it not make good economic sense and greater convenience to Council and their works to have a bridge?
It is also noteworthy that in times of flood, both ferries can be grounded and the alternative route via Maria River Road can also be inaccessible. Its time that the community should be consulted as to where a bridge should be located.
Klive Hood, Port Macquarie
