The Swan Bells are tolling the end of an era at Barrack Square with the historic SS Perth, affectionately known as the Riverboat Gambler, put up for sale this week amid claims of government failure to upgrade the facility.
The Swan Bells are tolling the end of an era at Barrack Square with the historic SS Perth, affectionately known as the Riverboat Gambler, put up for sale this week amid claims of government failure to upgrade the facility.
And as dissatisfaction with conditions at the site mounts, several other ferry operators are also considering selling out of Barrack Square, knowing they may lose most of their investment when they do.
SS Perth part-owner Peter Klemm says the decision to sell follows the state government’s lack of adequate promotion of Barrack Square and failure to upgrade the jetty.
Launched in 1914, the Riverboat Gambler is believed to be the oldest riverboat in the country and is licensed to carry 250 guests.
Mr Klemm has operated the cruises for the past four years and said he has been forced to conduct a “liquidation sale” of his boat because there were now very few guests to entertain.
“If you happen to see 100 people at Barrack Square in a day you’ll be doing well. It’s dead, there’s just no life there,” Mr Klemm said.
A lack of visitors to the port is just one of a host of problems plaguing the area, according to ferry operators spoken to by WA Business News, including poor jetty design, lack of storage space, crime and escalating rents.
Golden Sun Scenic Ferry Cruises owner Bill Edgar has been in the ferry business for 24 years and would only consider selling if offered “the right price” for his boat.
“Business is lousy, and to make matters worse we are charged similar rents to Hillarys and Fremantle, when we don’t even get half of the numbers of visitors they do,” Mr Edgar said.
A spokeswoman from the Department of Planning and Infrastructure said the rent determined under the lease was based on the Consumer Price Index but was reviewed every three years in accordance with the market rate.
She said that, should a tenant dispute the rent, the tenant is entitled to seek an independent market valuation of the premises under the Commercial Tenancies Act 1985.
In 2004, DPI installed two information/advertising booths in Barrack Square, enabling tenants, on a commercial basis, to display timetables of services or to advertise their individual operations.
But Mr Edgar believes this is not enough and the government should be doing more to promote the Bell Tower and Barrack Square as a tourist attraction.
Oceanic Cruises managing director Tony Delatte said that when the Bell Tower was built, the Court government expected 1.5 million tourists would visit Barrack Square each year.
Current visitor numbers were closer to 40,000, according to Mr Dellatte, who has been in the business 15 years and invested more than $15 million into his cruise and ferry operations.
“If I could get out I would. It’s a ghost town down here and profits are non existent. Two of my six ferries are constantly idle as there are no passengers,” he said.
Since 2001, Mr Delatte has had a series of problems, including regular break-ins, lack of wastewater storage facilities on site, inadequate parking limits, poor disability access, and only 12 square metres of space to store hundreds of tables and chairs.
Fremantle acting harbour manager Herman de Mello said the provision of additional storage facilities at the Barrack Square site would have to be discussed with the Swan River Trust and the Heritage Council to ensure stability and sensitivity.
Mr de Mello said waste material was not allowed to be stored on site, and under lease conditions it was the tenant’s responsibility for removal.
City of Perth chief executive Frank Edwards said while there were no plans to change parking times at Barrack Square, the city had provided additional parking in Riverside Drive and suggested people taking long cruises use longer-term parking at the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre and Terrace Road car parks.
The DPI says it has completed numerous works at Barrack Square, including the installation of a ramped landing for disabled visitors taking the Perth/South Perth ferry service, which was available to all operators, and the construction of two new jetty pavilion buildings.
