Speech to Chambers
Delivered by Councillor Seal Chong Wah, to the Debate on the petition requesting council restore CityCat services for Apollo Road and Milton ferry terminals and invest in more local suburban congestion busting projects, 11th November 2025
I rise to speak to the petition, requesting council restore the CityCat services for Apollo Road and Milton Ferry terminals and invest in more local suburban congestion busting projects. Thank you Cr Collier for creating this petition.
The fact that 1,009 residents signed this petition shows the importance of frequent ferry transport, and this Council’s lack of vision and care for our community’s transport.
Yet again!! Another example of the LNP council walking back on their responsibility for a sustainable city! “CLEAN GREEN and SUSTAINABLE!” is an LNP greenwash slogan! We are living in an unsustainable city! We have the 10th worst traffic congestion in the world because we lack public and active transport. This council should be ashamed of their lack of vision and action on sustainability.
How can this LNP council both introduce the most expensive metered parking in the city, in the riverside high density Milton area to manage the surge in vehicles and parking demand, while at the same time cut critical public transport ferry services to the exact same area?
This LNP council cut ferry services to Milton ferry terminal by 40%, resulting in a decrease in the Milton ferry terminal patronage by 50%.
On the 9th of December, 2025, this LNP administration cut 51 daily services to the Milton Ferry terminal with no consultation and no notice given to the community nor my office. No consultation which is standard practice with this LNP administration.
This 40% cut in ferry services to Milton came just 4 months after the introduction of 50 cent fares in August last year.
We know from TMR data, that ferries experienced a dramatic increase in patronage with the 50 cent fare introduction, with figures up 42.8%.
Yet, just 4 months later, the LNP administration decided to slash 51 ferry services from Milton.
The real reason this LNP administration cut services was because the Council opened the Howard Smith Wharves ferry terminal in May 2024, after announcing plans for a new terminal 5 years ago, but didn’t buy enough ferries to maintain the timetable.
The LNP administration is looking after their developer mates while disregarding our community's needs! Clearly not forward planning for the future!
In justifying the massive cut in Milton services, the Administration claimed that Milton and Apollo Road ferry terminals had the lowest patronage data.
We now know that wasn’t correct. More LNP propaganda! As per usual!
We are living in an unsustainable city!
This LNP administration makes unethical decisions that have a huge impact on our residents.
We should be reducing our private motor vehicle dependence to reduce climate pollution. We should be creating a city with multiple modes of public and active transport NOT REDUCING OR CUTTING SERVICES!
This LNP Council budget priorities are geared for an unsustainable city while supporting their corporate mates rather than our community!
We have seen over a billion dollars in public transport investment and yet here we are! Residents are pleading to restore the citycat services for Apollo Road and Milton Ferry terminals.
Milton’s population is growing rapidly as the LNP drives a surge in density.
We need to be increasing public transport services to the area, and investing in active transport - not cutting ferry services.