Sandy Bay ferry terminal

The Greater Hobart Mayors, together with the State Government, are progressing the Derwent River Ferry Expansion Project. Detailed planning and design is underway at three key locations, including:

Sandy Bay (Lords Beach)
Lindisfarne (Natone Street)
Glenorchy (Wilkinson's Point).

This transformative initiative will deliver new ferry terminals to enhance connectivity across Greater Hobart, reduce congestion, and support sustainable transport options.

While the planning for the ferry terminals are progressing well, the terminals have encountered some complexities.

For example, both the Sandy Bay and Lindisfarne terminals require support from the Tasmanian Planning Commission to modify an unintended zoning restriction under the State Planning Scheme on ferry terminals in the preferred locations.

Each proposed site is undergoing rigorous evaluation to ensure the best outcomes for residents and the environment.

This includes marine ecosystem studies, traffic modelling, and community engagement, resulting in revised timelines for terminal completion.

We are progressing plans for a new ferry terminal at Sandy Bay.

Lords Beach was agreed to be investigated after use of Wrest Point was rejected by the site's lessee, Federal Group because of concerns about their carpark.

A marine survey at Lords Beach identified Spotted Handfish, a nationally protected species, and so this needs to be referred to the Federal Government for assessment and consideration of ways to mitigate any impacts on the species.

This process will cause unavoidable delays, but the City and State Government remain committed to delivering improved ferry infrastructure for Hobart.

The project is backed by $20 million in federal funding as well as contributions from the Tasmanian Government and Councils, demonstrating strong support for sustainable transport solutions from all levels of Government.

Community input has been vital with about 70 per cent of respondents saying they expect to use a Lindisfarne service and 71 per cent of survey participants supporting the Sandy Bay terminal, citing benefits such as improved transport access, reduced traffic pressure, and enhanced recreational opportunities.

Key findings from our community consultation

There was general support for the proposed location of a ferry terminal at Lords Beach. 64 per cent of Sandy Bay residents and 71 per cent of broader community respondents indicated support for the project.
Safe and convenient access was a top priority for most people. This included well established pedestrian infrastructure, protected cycling routes, school and university transport links as well as improved integration with existing public transport services.
There were mixed views on the environmental impact of the proposed ferry terminal. Many supported the ferry as a sustainable transport option that could reduce car use and emissions. Others raised concerns about potential impacts on the foreshore and marine life.
There was high interest in the project, with a desire for improved transparency in future planning, technical assessments and how community feedback would influence final outcomes.

Benefits

Ferry services from Bellerive to Hobart have proved to be popular with the travelling public. During the first year of a ferry services trial more than 120 000 ferry trips were made between Hobart and Bellerive. The introduction of Saturday services has also been popular, carrying an average of 600 passengers a day during the warmer months.

The new Sandy Bay ferry terminal will have multiple benefits, including:

Creating a new public transport choice for students* travelling from the eastern shore to Sandy Bay high schools, including Mount Carmel College, Fahan School and The Hutchins School.
Creating new public transport options for commuters travelling to the University of Tasmania from the eastern shore.
Making it easier and cheaper for students, workers and tourists to travel efficiently and sustainably in Hobart without relying on cars.
Reducing the number of vehicles travelling over the Tasman Bridge and through the Hobart CBD and Sandy Bay during peak hours.
Reducing the number of private vehicles on our roads, lowering transport emissions.

*Children under the age of 12 are not permitted to travel unaccompanied on passenger ferry services in Tasmania.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Why were Sandy Bay sites considered?

Sandy Bay is an important inclusion to the Greater Derwent Ferry services route network. The location will provide important linkages with the Eastern Shore and education services and other facilities in the Sandy Bay area.

Sandy Bay is also home to some key tourist attractions and a key event destination. Providing more transport connectivity will help reduce road congestion into and through the city.

The shoreline from Sullivans Cove to lower Sandy Bay was assessed and identified four potential sites for a ferry terminal.

How were sites chosen and assessed?

A multi-criteria assessment was used which considered a range of maritime factors including but not limited to water depth, prevailing weather conditions and shoreline accessibility.

A scoring matrix then ranked each site for suitability and this is what has informed site selection to date.

Why not Wrest Point?

The City of Hobart has actively engaged with the site owner/lessee in respect to the potential use of its land for a Sandy Bay ferry terminal. However, this process has highlighted that access to this site would require a change in current private access provisions and that the use of the area would encumber the site and represent a significant impact on the owners/lessee's operations. Accordingly, the owner/lessee has declined the opportunity.

Why Lords Beach?

The new ferry terminal would be one of three to be built as part of expansion plans for River Derwent ferry services. The other two are planned for Wilkinsons Point in Glenorchy and Natone Bay in Lindisfarne.

Lords Beach has been chosen as the preferred site because:

Hutchins School, Mount Carmel College and the University of Tasmania are within 1km walking distance.
Its close proximity to recreational areas including University of Tasmania sporting facilities.
Proximity to Wrest Point Casino, which is a high-volume tourism attraction and event venue.
An existing bus stop is already close by.
High visibility for commuter access from Sandy Bay Road as well as linkages to a popular cycleway.
It is next to a large commuter catchment area, with approximately 750 homes within 1km of the ferry terminal.
The site has street parking along Sandy Bay Road which would allow for pick-up and drop off area.

What about parking and impact on residents?

The ferry service will be run by the Tasmanian Government. Our role is to support the ferry service through the provision of local infrastructure.

Ferry services are intended to complement bus services within the Greater Hobart area.

The Department of State Growth plans to work with councils and operators to identify where existing bus services can better align with ferry services.

We are able to introduce controls, such as parking limitations, that reduce access to all-day parking for non-residents.

Clarence City Council has taken similar measures in the area surrounding the current ferry terminal site in Bellerive. This provides a useful case-study for the Sandy Bay terminal site.

Site progress and next steps

While the terminals have encountered some issues including determining suitable sites, planning scheme restrictions, traffic management, marine species management and alignment with existing and/or proposed developments, the need for an expanded public transport system in Hobart remains a top priority.

The project team has worked closely with stakeholders to identify and address these issues, however, these have created the need to extend the delivery time for the new terminals as follows:

Sandy Bay – Lords Beach: Concept design complete; next steps include EPBC referral in April 2026. Expected delivery: Mid 2028.
Lindisfarne – Natone Street: Technical assessments finalised; development application scheduled for March 2026. Expected completion: Mid 2027
Glenorchy – Wilkinson's Point: Design well advanced; development application due March 2026. Expected completion: Mid 2027.

The Department of State Growth sits on the Steering committee for the Derwent Ferry Expansion Project and will ensure the delivery of an expanded service will consider the revised delivery timeframes for the terminals.

The new ferry terminal for Hobart is a key action in both the City of Hobart and Tasmanian Government's transport strategies.

Expanding ferry services aligns with our climate strategy goal of creating a more resilient and connected Hobart.

River Derwent Ferry Service Masterplan

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

It proposes potential new ferry sites and services.

As well as Hobart and Bellerive, the masterplan identifies suggested locations for new ferry services, such as:

Lindisfarne
Howrah
Wilkinsons Point
Sandy Bay
Regatta Point
Kingston Beach.

The draft masterplan was prepared and found sites in both Sandy Bay and Lindisfarne, which have since been updated.

Find more information on the River Derwent Ferry Service Expansion page.

Location

Lords Beach, Sandy Bay Road, Sandy Bay 7005 View Map

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