NSW Treasurer Matt Kean has scrapped NSW Transport Minister David Elliott’s announcement that the government would build ferries in Australia just hours after it appeared in the media, underlining the NSW Liberal Government’s refusal to support domestic manufacturing.
 
Minister Elliott attempted to announce this morning that he would build new River Class ferries in Australia to replace the ageing fleet of Rivercats.
 
However, Minister Kean was asked four times in a press conference today if his government would support the domestic construction of new River Class vessels and each time declined to support the Transport Minister’s announcement.
 
Minister Kean also declined to support domestic manufacturing of ferries, trains, trams and buses even though his government has overseen a litany of overseas procurement failures including;
 

• The Emerald Class Ferries – which are now out of service indefinitely after experiencing steering failures and have also had cracked fuel tanks, hot oil sprayed around the engine room after the lubricating oil system failed, failed emergency doors, damage to rudders in heavy swells, windows shattered in heavy swells and can potentially become airborne in heavy swells.

• The River Class Ferries – which were riddled with asbestos, faulty electrical equipment and cabling, substandard fit and finish, couldn’t travel at night because of reflective wheelhouse glass, couldn’t travel under the bridges on the Parramatta River with passengers on the top deck and couldn’t safely enact an emergency stop.

• The Inner West Light Rail CAF Urbos 3 Trams – which first had defects in 2019 and then all developed serious cracking which has put the entire fleet out of action for almost a year.

• The New Intercity Fleet Trains – which did not fit the tracks and the tunnels on the network, are sitting in storage costing taxpayers up to $30 million a month and are yet to carry a single passenger.

• The Regional Fleet Trains – which will be 1205 days late because of rectification works that need to be performed by the overseas manufacturer.

 
The failure of the Liberals to deliver on a plan for domestic manufacturing stands in stark contrast with NSW Labor that has announced a plan to replace the Tangara fleet with trains built here, and a strategy to support a 50 per cent minimum local content target
 
Quotes attributable to Shadow Minister for Transport Jo Haylen:
 
“The only way to guarantee that the future ferries, trains, trams and buses that we need will be built here is to change to government.”
 
“David Elliott simply does not have the support of Matt Kean or other members of the Liberal government to build these ferries here.
 
“This morning’s announcement from David Elliott is just a pipe dream. It will never go ahead as long as the liberals remain in power
 
“Matt Kean had four chances today to support building these ferries here and as good as said no every time.

JO HAYLEN MP
NSW SHADOW MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT