Coromandel Town is working hard for the ferry to return

This article was originally published by The Coromandel Informer and is published here with permission. 

To advocate for and reinstate the ferry service from Auckland to Coromandel return is the key goal of the Coromandel Colville Business Association.

The Coromandel ferry service stopped when Covid came.  It was such a plus for travellers from Auckland and also for locals but it was always economically vulnerable. 

But the people of Coromandel had the  ferry coming into Hannafords Wharf at Te Kouma, a few kilometres south of the township. There was always hope that it would one day be able to come right into the commercial wharf in the town of Coromandel.

Legendary Barry Brickell had come up with a vision of having a separate pier near the Coromandel town wharf and trains would bring the people to and from the ferry. These were exciting ideas.  Of course the vision and the ideas come before the funds or investment. It wasn’t the right time.  There were also a number of environmental objections to the ferry coming into the town wharf. Then the storms came – cyclones Hale and Gabriel.

Fullers do not seem to be ready to return, and it is public news that the Fullers busines operation is for sale. Coromandel township has looked at all the negatives  of restoring the ferry and at all the possibilities it could bring to their town, north of their community and the whole Peninsula and they have committed to exploring every avenue to make it possible. They believe with very thorough due diligence and with the development of infrastructure that will create income associated with a restored ferry service  the it can become a reality. It will change the level of income for oromandel town but it does not need to change Coromandel’s nature.

Jenny Ashman, Chair of the Coromandel Colville Business Association is leading the charge and presented a visually detailed report at the public meeting – what has been done and what is yet to be done. It was the second public meeting. 74 had attended the first one. There were 40 at the second meeting which the Informer attended. As the details become more clear and the detail emerges then it is a natural evolution to a smaller working group. There were many  astute business and commnity minds present at this meeting.   

Jessica Black, Economic Development Support Advisor at TCDC has been a tremendous support and practical help in preparing the reports and in investigating economic possibilities associated with a regular ferry service.