Bayside Council is not giving up its hope for a Brighton-Le-Sands and Sans Souci ferry as part of the State Government's proposed Botany Bay ferry route.
The State Significant Kamay Ferry Wharf Project was announced in 2020 to connect La Perouse to Kurnell to promote tourism and improve transport access.
The state government provided $16 million to help with the construction of new wharves at Kurnell and La Perouse to accommodate a catamaran-style ferry capable of carrying up to 400 passengers.
At the time Bayside Council wrote to the government requesting that the scope of the Project be extended to include wharves at Brighton Le Sands and Sans Souci.
"The NSW Government needs to understand that without the inclusion of Brighton-Le-Sands and Sans Souci, their planned ferry route is a boat to nowhere," Bayside mayor Joe Awada said at the time.
The council added there was huge, untapped tourism potential in the Bayside beachfront with family friendly swimming, a culturally inclusive environment, and a wide selection of quality cafes and restaurants.
But the Parliamentary Secretary for Transport and Roads, Eleni Petinos responded by stating that the NSW Government had no plans to extend the scope of the project at that time.
Last month the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) notified Bayside Council of the exhibition of a State Significant Infrastructure Development Application for the Kamay Ferry Wharf Project. The proponent is Transport for NSW (TfNSW).
Last week the council endorsed a submission to the DPIE reiterating its request that the Kamay Ferry Wharf Project be extended to include ferry wharves at Brighton-Le-Sands and Sans Souci.
"We lobbied very hard for additional stops to be included," Bayside Council general manager Meredith Wallace told last week's council meeting.
"We asked for an extension of the business plan. We asked for a fresh business plan to be done to include the western side of Botany Bay and none of those things have occurred."
In its submission to the DPIE, the council points out that it is expected the ferry terminal will be a major destination and should be accessible by the major bus routes to the South-East with provision of a bus interchange at the new wharves at La Perouse.
But the State Government has recently proposed changes to the South East Sydney Bus Network to remove a number of existing bus services from La Perouse, instead terminating them at Little Bay.
"It would be expected that a lack of direct public transport (bus) transfer and the subsequent increase in visitors to the area would then impose a burden on the surrounding area," the council said in its submission, requesting that a bus interchange be included at the wharves.
The DA for the wharves includes a reconfiguration of the existing car parking at La Perouse to increase the number of car spaces.
The council also requests that TfNSW consider providing Principal Bicycle Network infrastructure to connect the existing Botany Bay active transport network to the wharves.
This connection would provide access to the La Perouse wharves for the Botany Bay, southern Sydney areas and complete the final link to the Botany Bay foreshore path network," the council said.
