Sandy Bay Ferry Terminal

The City of Hobart is seeking public feedback on a proposed new passenger ferry terminal at Lords Beach in Sandy Bay.

The proposal is part of an initiative to expand the River Derwent Ferry Service and increase public transport options across Greater Hobart.

Where we’re at

The proposal for a new ferry terminal at Sandy Bay has been through a number of stages and is now open for community engagement, beginning March 5, 2025.

  • August 2021: Hobart’s first public ferry service, between Hobart and Bellerive, was opened to the public

The City of Hobart is seeking public feedback on a proposed new passenger ferry terminal at Lords Beach in Sandy Bay.

The proposal is part of an initiative to expand the River Derwent Ferry Service and increase public transport options across Greater Hobart.

Where we’re at

The proposal for a new ferry terminal at Sandy Bay has been through a number of stages and is now open for community engagement, beginning March 5, 2025.

  • August 2021: Hobart’s first public ferry service, between Hobart and Bellerive, was opened to the public as a trial and then a permanent service.

  • Throughout 2022: The Greater Hobart Councils (Hobart, Clarence, Glenorchy and Kingborough) commissioned a proof of concept to identify the need and potential locations for additional passenger ferry terminals.

  • Locations for the new infrastructure were identified as Wilkinson Point, Lindisfarne and Sandy Bay.

  • Throughout 2023 the Council’s secured funding of $20M from the Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts to construct the new passenger ferry terminals.

  • November 2023: The Tasmanian Government released a Draft River Derwent Ferry Service Master Plan to expand ferry services on the River Derwent. The planning study for the master plan established eight priority locations for ferry sites, one in Sandy Bay. The Councils undertook detailed analysis of the three priority sites to identify specific sites for the new passenger ferry terminals in each location.

    This included a detailed review of all potential sites along the western shore of the river from Marieville Esplanade to Lower Sandy Bay.

  • December 2024: The Hobart City Council endorsed the preferred ferry terminal site at Lords Beach in Sandy Bay so that community engagement could be undertaken on that site.

  • March 2025 (Current stage): Community engagement on the proposed Sandy Bay ferry terminal begins.

  • April 2025: Community engagement reporting and analysis begins.

  • May 2025: Findings from the community engagement process will be assessed and considered in the finalisation of a ferry terminal design, prior to legislated development processes (eg. permits).

Please note: The City of Hobart’s community engagement process is separate to the legislated development approval processes required on council land.

We want to hear from you

The City of Hobart is seeking community input to better understand:

  • Your considerations regarding the proposed passenger ferry terminal’s location and design.

  • How access, connections and amenities at the terminal can best support future use.

Your feedback will help the Hobart City Council make a decision on the final location and design of the new passenger ferry terminal.

The River Derwent Ferry Service Master Plan

The Tasmanian Government has created a draft River Derwent Ferry Service Master Plan to guide the expansion of ferry services on the River Derwent.

It proposes potential new ferry sites and services at:

  • Lindisfarne

  • Howrah

  • Wilkinsons Point

  • Sandy Bay

  • Regatta Point

  • Kingston Beach.

Read more about the River Derwent Ferry Service Master Plan here:

New ferry terminal in Sandy Bay

From settlement in 1804 through to the 1960s Hobart was served by an extensive network of ferry services and terminals. many of these services ceased only to be reactivated as a result of the Tasman Bridge disaster in 1975.

In August 2021 the Tasmanian Government re-established a regular passenger ferry service between Sullivans Cove and Bellerive.

This service has proven to be extremely popular.

As outlined in the draft River Derwent Ferry Service Master Plan, additional passenger ferry terminals in Hobart will increase transport options for people travelling to local schools, the University of Tasmania and to work.

Sandy Bay was identified as the preferred location by Hobart City Council in December 2024 for an additional passenger ferry terminal in Hobart due to its:

  • Feasibility based on technical assessments.

  • Proximity to key locations such as The Hutchins School, Fahan School, Mount Carmel College and the University of Tasmania. They are all within a one kilometre walking distance of the ferry terminal site.

  • High visibility for commuter access from Sandy Bay Road as well as linkages to a popular cycleway.

  • Proximity to a large commuter catchment area, with approximately 750 homes within one kilometre of the ferry terminal.

A new passenger ferry terminal at Sandy Bay would be an important addition to the Greater Hobart Derwent Ferries services network. The location will provide important linkages with the Hobart’s eastern shore and education services as well as facilities in the Sandy Bay area.

Preliminary plans for the new Sandy Bay passenger ferry terminal include:

  • Bike storage, including charging facilities for e-bikes and e-scooters.

  • A walkway taking passengers out over the water to a boarding ramp.

  • Additional lighting on the ferry terminal and kerbside.

  • Kiosk and toilets.

For further information about the project and information on the proposed new terminal please refer to our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ document.



Artist impressions of proposed design.

How to have your say

The community can have its say on this project between Wednesday 5 March and Sunday 30 March. There are three ways to provide feedback and share your ideas about the project:

Online survey

When: Open during the engagement period.

Have your say on the proposed Sandy Bay Ferry Terminal using the Your Say link at the bottom of this page. Share your ideas and what is important to you in this survey.

Your say pop-ups

When: At various times and locations during the engagement period.

Come and speak directly with the Your Say Hobart engagement team to learn more about the project and share your feedback at various locations across Hobart.

Pop-ups:

  • UTAS, Student Life Expo, Thursday, March 6 | 11 am – 2.30 pm

  • Long Beach Twilight Market, Friday, March 14 | 5–7pm

  • Queenborough Oval, Tuesday, March 25 | 10–12pm

Face-to-face surveys

When: March 26 and March 27

We will be spending time at various locations to run people through the survey on the following dates:

  • Brooke St Pier and Elizabeth Mall, Wednesday March 26 | times TBC

  • Woolworths in Sandy Bay, Thursday March 27 | times TBC

If you can’t fill in the survey online come and say hello and have a chat about this project with our engagement team!

Submissions

Open during the engagement period

Have your say on the Sandy Bay ferry terminal proposal by providing a written submission. For online submissions, you can enter your submission via the widget tab on the right, using the submission template. For written submissions, download and print the submission template and submit to the City of Hobart.

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Accessibility

The City of Hobart is committed to building inclusive, strong and healthy communities through the celebration of diversity and participation in community life by making services, programs and facilities accessible for people of all ages and abilities. This includes our community engagement processes.

Please call our Community Engagement Team on 0458 249 660 if you would like to speak about ways to make this project more suitable to your accessibility requirements.

  • Sandy Bay Ferry Terminal

    We want to hear from you 


    We want to hear from you 

    The city wants to hear your view on the Lords Beach location for the new passenger ferry terminal and its facilities, which would see either a new facility developed as currently proposed, or even the possible re purposing of one of the existing jetties at that site. The additional ferry terminal is part of an initiative to expand passenger ferry services on the River Derwent. The new passenger ferry terminal will increase public transport options for residents, workers, students, and travellers to and from Sandy Bay. 


    The Council is seeking community feedback to better understand: 

    • Considerations regarding the new passenger terminal’s location and design 
    • How access, connections, and amenities at the new passenger ferry terminal can best support future use 


    The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete. This survey is an opportunity to share what matters most to you at the new passenger ferry terminal in Sandy Bay. Your input will inform Council’s decision-making on the location and design of the new passenger ferry terminal.

     


    Take Survey
Page last updated: 06 Mar 2025, 04:54 PM