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Perth’s New Swan River Ferries: $107m Plan for Applecross and Matilda Bay

Perth’s $107 million Swan River ferry expansion is progressing, with five electric ferries under construction and terminals planned at Applecross and Matilda Bay near UWA. The route and approvals are not yet final.
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Western Australia’s $107 million plan to expand Perth’s Swan River ferry service is moving from election pledge to delivery: five electric ferries are being built, and two new terminals are planned at Applecross and Matilda Bay, near the University of Western Australia (UWA). The service is expected to begin in late 2027, but the final route and operating approvals are still in progress.

What Labor pledged—and what is happening now

In January 2025, ahead of the 8 March Western Australian state election, Labor announced a $107 million expansion of Perth’s ferry service. The proposal included five electric ferries and stops at Applecross and Matilda Bay, serving UWA. At the time, this was a campaign commitment, not an operating service. ABC News reported the pledge and early concerns about priorities, river safety and parking.

The project has since advanced. The Public Transport Authority (PTA) describes a proposed route linking Elizabeth Quay, Matilda Bay and Applecross. Terminal development applications received conditional approval on 11 December 2025, and the government announced in June 2026 that construction of the vessels was under way. The PTA page checked on 8 October 2026 says terminal tenders have closed, while detailed design is expected to progress after a contract award. Ferry-operation approvals remain in process. The PTA’s project page tracks the current status.

Where the new ferry stops are planned

Matilda Bay: the UWA-serving terminal

The planned Matilda Bay terminal is on Hackett Drive, centrally along the bay. It is intended to serve UWA’s Crawley campus, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre and nearby riverfront destinations. The site was confirmed in July 2025 after the government assessed five candidate sites and consulted river users. The government says its assessment considered marine safety, heritage, environmental factors, land and water use, and connectivity. The government’s site-selection announcement describes the location and assessment.

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Applecross

The other planned terminal is north of the existing Raffles complex and within walking distance of Canning Bridge Station. That connection could help passengers combine ferry travel with rail and bus connections, although the final service pattern and interchange details have not been published.

Both terminals are planned to include a fixed jetty, sheltered waiting area, gangway and ferry berths. Matilda Bay is also planned to have electric-ferry charging infrastructure, public toilets and bicycle facilities. The PTA describes an endorsed design with shelter space for 48 bikes. The government’s terminal tender announcement outlines planned facilities.

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Ferries, capacity and expected start

Henderson-based Echo Marine Group is building five electric ferries. The WA Government says each vessel is designed to carry up to 100 passengers, reach a maximum operating speed of 25 knots, and include a toilet, bicycle storage and external seating. The vessels are designed to produce a low wake. These are design specifications, not a published timetable or guarantee of the speed on any particular part of the route. The government’s construction announcement gives the vessel details and expected start.

The government expects the service to begin in late 2027. That is a forecast, not a confirmed opening date. The federal project listing gives early 2028 as the expected project completion, a separate milestone that should not be read as a published passenger-service start date.

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Cost and public funding

The $107 million figure is the published estimated cost of the initial expansion, not final audited expenditure. The Australian Government Department of Infrastructure lists the same estimated total project cost and a $60 million federal contribution. The federal project listing sets out the cost and contribution.

A separate $10 million federal investment announced in May 2026 is for planning and design of possible future network extensions. It is not part of the $107 million initial expansion figure. The May 2026 announcement explains the additional planning allocation.

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Safety, parking and the unresolved questions

When the proposal was announced, sailing clubs raised concerns about water safety, and a former UWA campus manager warned about parking near the proposed terminals. In response to site-selection concerns, the government said it assessed Matilda Bay using multiple criteria and independent marine-safety advice, and that stakeholder engagement would continue. The PTA also specifies a maximum speed of eight knots for the ferry’s east-west approach to and departure from the Matilda Bay terminal. These measures and assessments do not establish that every safety or parking concern has been resolved.

As of the PTA page checked on 8 October 2026, an application to operate the proposed service on the Swan and Canning Rivers had been submitted to the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA). Public feedback was invited from 31 August to 29 September 2026. The PTA says the final route will be determined with assistance from the Waterways Stakeholder Reference Group. The three-stop route shown by the PTA is therefore proposed, not a final operating plan.

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Which other stops might be added later?

The first stage is the proposed link among Elizabeth Quay, Matilda Bay and Applecross. The PTA says it is exploring other potential routes or terminal locations, including Canning Bridge, Point Fraser, Burswood Park, Optus Stadium and Claisebrook Cove. The federal listing also describes planning and design for potential future extensions that could include Maylands, Belmont and Rivervale. These locations are possibilities, not confirmed first-stage stops.

What passengers still cannot plan around

Published material does not yet establish a final timetable, fare or final route details. Nor is there a guaranteed opening date beyond the government’s late-2027 service expectation. Until operating approvals and route decisions are complete, passengers should treat those details as provisional rather than plan trips around a specific service.

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