Stockton ferry commuters face another decade with 40-year-old fleet

Newcastle must wait until at least 2036 for new ferries after the NSW government announced it would refurbish its existing 40-year-old fleet to extend the operational life by 10 years.

Member for Newcastle, Tim Crakanthorp, made the announcement at the Queens Wharf terminal on Monday.

The NSW government will spend $5 million on the MV Shortland and MV Hunter over the next 18 months to make mechanical and technical improvements to ensure the Stockton ferry service does not continue to suffer service failures that have plagued the transport route for more than a year.

For almost a week last November the Stockton ferry service ground to a halt after both vessels suffered mechanical issues.

There will also be upgrades to improve customer comfort.

The MV Shortland will undergo its upgrade in August, while the MV Hunter is scheduled for August 2027. The work is expected to dock the ferries for three months.

"They have been running for 40 years now and they're structurally sound, but we have seen a lot of maintenance issues on them recently," Mr Crakanthorp said.

"We don't want to be in a repeat where we're having to catch buses to take people from Newcastle to Stockton and vice versa.

"This will give us the security, the people of Stockton and Newcastle the security, of a very efficient, well-maintained, highly technically run delivery of a good service to our commuters while we look into further upgrades of the fleet both in Sydney and here in Newcastle."

The state government announced in 2024 that Sydney's fleet would be replaced by electric or hydrogen ferries by 2035. The first fully electric ferry is expected to join the Parramatta River service this year.

Mr Crakanthorp has been vocal on the issue and last November wrote to the Transport Minister John Graham requesting that Newcastle be commissioned new electric or hybrid ferries.

"We deserve the same," Mr Crankanthorp said. "We have similar ferries, of similar age, all built here in Newcastle.

"We're looking at electrification and hybrid ferries in Sydney; we need to be looking at the same here.

"I'll certainly be lobbying hard for a similar timetable."

Asked if he was disappointed that Newcastle's diesel-powered ferry service would not be electrified until at least 2036, Mr Crakanthorp said, "I'm really pleased that we've got this money to give us time to look into hybrid and electric ferries and continue to work hard to get that.

"Nothing is instant. As we all know, it takes time to get outcomes. This will buy us some time to get to that place where we need and want to be."

Newcastle deputy lord mayor and Greens councillor Charlotte McCabe has previously spoken publicly about the Stockton ferry's service and had a mixed response to the NSW government's announcement.

"This sounds like Newcastle is getting a reassurance about the reliability of our ferries, which is important, and that's the main concern for commuters because they want a service that's reliable," Cr McCabe said.

"But it definitely feels like this is the state government just kicking the can down the road and not treating Newcastle in the same way they have the Sydney ferries, where they have a commitment to replace old ferries with electric ones."

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