Copper Coast | Developments & News

[crawf]

Ferry here in three weeks

The spot at the old Wallaroo boat ramp where the "Seaway" will be moored in two to three weeks

Wallaroo's ferry will arrive in our waters within the next two or three weeks in readiness for a December 7 start, according to Sea Transport's Stuart Ballantyne - pictured at the Wallaroo terminal site last Friday with his wife, Stephanie Dawson.
The vessel to be used for the Wallaroo to Lucky Bay ferry service, to commence on December 7, is to arrive at Wallaroo boat ramp in approximately three weeks.

The "Seaway" - currently on a slip at Port Lincoln - will be moored at the soon-to-be-completed Wallaroo boat ramp "station", and from there will be taken for trial runs in the lead up to the ferry service launch on December 7.

Sea Transport's Stuart Ballantyne, with partner Stephanie Dawson, was in Wallaroo last Friday, checking on the progress at the Wallaroo terminal, and was confident the launch date will stand.

Tradesmen were with them, discussing the terminal works' progress.

Fill at the base of the boat ramp between the four on-site mooring poles has to be removed, and a temporary ticket office, and additional waiting room/reception area, is yet to be placed.

Bookings for the service are already being taken, with Sue Cassidy, Sea SA Operations/ Administration Officer, based at Wallaroo, reporting she is receiving approximately 100 phone calls a day.

"The response has been fantastic, with enquiries and booking placements coming from people all over the State - Adelaide, Clare and Fleurieu Peninsula - and everyone appears excited," Sue said. The enquiry number is 8823 0777.


Market potential of one million vehicles
A recent presentation to a tourism group revealed some interesting detail about the Wallaroo to Lucky Bay ferry service.

Provided by owner, Sea Transport SA, it revealed a market potential of "conservatively" one million vehicles and with that much movement off road, it suggests a reduction in road accidents.

Sea Transport says there were 531 serious accidents recorded in the last four years - including many deaths and serious injuries on the Cowell/Port Augusta/Port Wakefield road sectors.

The company also says a ferry service would reduce exhaust emissions and road maintenance costs, and points to systems used by the EU and the US that use government funded incentives to get freight onto coastal ferries.

The presentation also gave detail of the 64-metre vessel, under construction, that will replace an interim vessel expected to start the service on December 7.

The larger vessel will accommodate 10 trucks, 50 cars and 350 passengers with 180 lane metres for trucks and 230 for cars. Sea Transport says this will aid importers and exporters, allowing trailers to travel across the gulf without prime movers, reducing costs.

It also anticipates courier services, government personnel and tradesmen will use the ferry service, along with commuters and tourists.


Wallaroo excited
President John McCormack says Wallaroo Community Development Association believes there are exciting times ahead.
With a ferry service so close to starting, Wallaroo Community Development Association is readying to put its vision of a beautified foreshore and main street to the District Council of the Copper Coast.

President John McCormack says the association is excited because the ferry will present some good opportunities to the town with users needing to be encouraged to spend some time.

"Wallaroo will become a through road rather than a dead-end - I think it's going to be terrific and the association is really looking forward to it. We need to try and trap those passengers coming up from Adelaide - get them here to catch the ferry a bit earlier and have them look around. It's important to have the foreshore attractive and public access to the beaches, jetty and marina linked via walkways and a connection to the main street."

He says the association has also looked at traffic movements, especially in light of an escalation of truck traffic, and it believes Jetty Road could be widened to feed trucks up to the bypass road.

"There are unlimited things to think about," he said. "We really need a decent tourist information centre down there - the Kadina one is in the wrong place. We had a round-table at our last meeting and looked at everyone's design ideas. We will come up with a plan soon because it is evident everyone's thoughts are similar - they are not far out."

Asked about the pricing structure of the ferry service that has attracted some criticism, John says it seems comparable to other services but he wonders if the driver and a passenger should be included in the car price.

"I took a car from Queenscliff to Sorrento (Victoria) just 18 months ago. That cost us a total of $55; however, it is only a half-hour journey by sea, so it does compare. However, perhaps the operators should have another look at it and consider a family ticket. People will spend money on the boat anyway with snacks and drinks.

http://www.ypct.com.au/news/06/10/31/3.html[/b]

[Ho Really]

Thanks for the update crawf.

The company also says a ferry service would reduce exhaust emissions and road maintenance costs, and points to systems used by the EU and the US that use government funded incentives to get freight onto coastal ferries.

In Europe they call them "Highways of the Sea". I wonder whether in future we'll see an Adelaide-Port Lincoln service.

Cheers

[crawf]

Shark on course
Journalist: Kathryn Crisell
AT THE DUNES: Greg Norman's Vice-President of Design, Bob Harrison (left) with developer Peter Butterly. Inset: golfer Greg Norman.

A golf course plan for The Dunes at Port Hughes is just weeks away according to Greg Norman's Vice-President of Design, Bob Harrison.

Mr Harrison last week visited the region for a second time, spending a couple of days examining the site with developer, Peter Butterly, and says, while there are a number of alternatives being considered, they are likely to get to the final design within "a couple of weeks".

The Greg Norman "signature" championship links-style golf course promises to be an interesting mix of dunes - extending inland and made to look as if they have always been connected to existing coastal dunes, and wetlands.

"Some courses are naturally there, some have a natural advantage. This site fits the latter," Mr Harrison says. "Two-thirds of the course is likely to be dunes in nature with shallow, salt water bodies to give contrast to the landscape. Eighteen holes of the same can get very boring - we will get deviation out of the landscape."

He also says ball deviation is a consideration with on-course housing and coastal winds, so design will be "generous" to avoid obvious pitfalls.

"There are interactions between golf and housing - the trick is to get both right. Wind movement is a large part of design for courses on the sea. It's nice to have a dramatic course but we are constrained by practical considerations," he said.

However, he also notes that wind at The Dunes site is not a big issue compared with other coastal courses and says, "up to a point, wind is part of the game".

While Peter Butterly admits to playing golf just once a year, he and business partner, Roland Dane, looked at four or five designers before settling on Greg Norman and Bob Harrison.

"They were the stand-outs. If you're going to do it, you have to do it right," he said. "The development needs the golf course, and this will compare with anything you would see in the world."

The golf course is in Stage 1 of the $250 million "The Dunes" development, for which a planning approval decision is not expected until November. The first major step towards approval was made four weeks ago when the District Council of the Copper Coast supported the rezoning of the land earmarked for the project, which includes a five-star hotel resort, 1,650 residential allotments, a golf club, a theme park, and a commercial centre, all to be rolled out in three stages over 20 years.

Pt Hughes "The Dunes" - rezoning over to the public
The draft Plan Amendment Report and Statement of Investigations pertaining to The Dunes development at Port Hughes has been placed on display for public consultation by the District Council of the Copper Coast.

It is available for public inspection (and purchase at $15 a copy) at Council's Kadina, Moonta and Wallaroo offices, until January 19, 2007.

Matters addressed in the draft Plan Amendment Report include the rezoning of the relevant part of the Recreation (Parklands) and General Farming zones to a Residential (Golf Course) zone; the introduction of relevant zone policy to enable the development of a golf course, associated tourist accommodation and commercial facilities together with residential development; and the addition of a Concept Plan to achieve the co-ordinated development of the land and to ensure an appropriate relationship with the adjoining township of Port Hughes, and the Coastal Zone.

The Plan can be downloaded from the Council web site http://www.coppercoast.sa.gov.au; written submissions to be lodged by 5 pm January 19, 2007, with a public hearing (if required) scheduled for January 24 at the Kadina Council chambers

http://www.ypct.com.au/news/06/11/14/5.html

[AJrocks]

The Ferry finally arrived in Wallaroo on Monday afternoon and will be ready to roll for the 7th December start date.

[crawf]

thanks for the update mate and welcome to S-A

do you live in wallaroo?

[Mants]

it was in the newspaper, just in case you were wondering

[AJrocks]

Yeah I've lived in Wallaroo for the past 16 years.

[Pistol]

I grew up in Wallaroo a long time ago and I can't believe some of the projects that are going on down there. A six storey apartment building and the ferry that they have been talking about for a LONG time now. Go you good thing.

[crawf]

it was in the newspaper, just in case you were wondering

Oh was it, i didnt read the tiser yesterday...

Yeah I've lived in Wallaroo for the past 16 years

Cool, ive got friends who live in Wallaroo and its a very nice place

I grew up in Wallaroo a long time ago and I can't believe some of the projects that are going on down there. A six storey apartment building and the ferry that they have been talking about for a LONG time now. Go you good thing.

Yeah its pretty amazing, plus dont forget the $250m Dunes resort project at Port Hughes and the $250 marina & housing development down the road at Port Wakefield...

[madexml]

i think this will be a fantastic ferry

[Ho Really]

I think channel TEN will show a special segment on the Wallaroo-Lucky Bay ferry in its 5:00pm news tomorrow (Friday, December 8th). Worth checking out.

Cheers

[crawf]

thanks mate, will do

[Maximus_Marc]

just got back from a week long get away here. was great, the water was beautiful and crystal clear and the weather was good as well and I pulled up with a nice tan anyone know the latest new of what's happening with this vision? the place would benefit from this so much

[desertboi]

Just to confirm some of the earlier comments - I travelled on the SeaSA ferry from Wallaroo last Friday morning.

The fare is $95 for a car plus $25 each pasenger. Considering the 2 hour crossing "saves" around 300km driving distance, it is a rather expensive, and several people I spoke to on the ferry were there for exactly the same reason as me - the "novelty factor", one way only.
The Gulf crossing is around 55 km, at a speed of 30kph (16 knots).

This was the "holiday" or high season when the service would need to be well patronised, and there were around 30 vehicles on the 10.45am crossing.

SeaSA stgaff mentioned a faster ferry (around 1 and half hours) will be operational "soon" , even so with boarding/unloading times it seems more of a novelty, given the fact there is an excellent almost flat highway from Adelaide to Port Lincoln.

In summary, the experience was good, even though the toilet facilities at the Wallaroo terminal were locked - and oh yes!! ....I am still waiting for a quote to take an 8.4 metre long coach vehicle on the ferry.

[Howie]

PLANS will be unveiled today for The Dunes, the proposed $250 million golf resort and residential estate at Port Hughes.

Australian golf champion Greg Norman is the designer behind the project's PGA-standard course – his first course in South Australia and his ninth in Australia.

The planned Yorke Peninsula development comprises an 18-hole golf course, a 120-room resort, 1650 residential allotments and commercial and recreational precincts.

Work is expected to begin in the second half of the year, creating up to 600 jobs during construction and ongoing employment opportunities for up to 300 through the resort, commercial precinct and course.

The Dunes is being developed by a consortium of international and local developers, which has developed three residential estates in the region.

The first stage of the project will incorporate 250 residential allotments, the golf course, clubhouse and five-star resort.

Norman's Sydney-based design partner in South-East Asia, Bob Harrison, said "the Shark" had signed off on the course design.

He said it would enhance the local coastal environment by extending dunes and coastal vegetation inland to the course.

"It will be a links course similar in style to Moonah at the National on Mornington Peninsula and we are aiming for it to be in the top 20 golf courses in Australia, capable of attracting local, national and international golfers," he said.

Project manager Phil Hudson said the course development would create an extra 30 to 40 ha of vegetated dune environment. Residential allotments would flank the course.

A public forum was held in Port Hughes on Wednesday. Copper Coast District Council chief executive Peter Dinning said while support had been "90 per cent, if not more", most people had valid concerns on water, power and waste issues.

Council is currently preparing a draft Plan Amendment Report to submit to Planning SA and expect it to be complete in six weeks.