River Derwent ferry trial

A one-way crossing takes about 15 minutes, with multiple services scheduled in weekday morning and afternoon peak periods.

View the Bellerive Ferry trial timetable.

The ferry docks at the Brooke Street Pier in Hobart, and Bellerive Pier in Bellerive.

The following fares apply for one-way travel:

Having trialled the service fare-free for the first 12 months to help get passengers on board, the Government now needs to assess the service as a real public transport option in the longer-term.

To minimise passenger disruption and provide a smooth transfer of services between buses and the ferry service, passengers can tap on with their Greencard.

The Greencard fares shown represents a 20 per cent discount on the single ticket cash price.

Passengers who travel to/from the ferry by bus can transfer between services for free within 90 minutes of their first boarding when using their Greencard.

Alternatively, payment can be made by cash, credit card or EFTPOS.

Children under the age of 5 travel for free when accompanied by a responsible person and are not in school uniform.

Travelling with a bike or e-scooter will no longer be free, but there is no extra charge for carrying these items on board.

To find out if you’re eligible for a concession fare visit transport.tas.gov.au/concessions

This trial service is operated by Tasmanian owned Derwent Ferries, which is part of the Navigators Group, who have been delivering services on the river for over 70 years.

Visit www.derwentferries.com.au to find out more.

The Excella will be the primary vessel used to deliver the service with potential to upscale to a larger ferry if there is demand. The Excella can carry 107 passengers and 15 bicycles and is fully accessible.

The trial delivers on the Greater Hobart Transport Vision as part of the Hobart City Deal.

The Hobart City Deal is a shared 10-year vision between the Australian and Tasmanian Governments and the Clarence, Glenorchy, Hobart and Kingborough councils.

City Deal Partners will work collaboratively to deliver the Greater Hobart Transport Vision by progressing actions to provide a reliable, sustainable and cost effective transport system, with a focus on active and public transport.

The Bellerive Wharf is currently the only Eastern shore location with suitable infrastructure to provide accessible passenger ferry services. To ensure these services are not affected by private use, any activity and/or works can not be undertaken until a permit has been approved by the Department of State Growth as the asset owner.

To inform any permit application, Derwent Ferries timetable information can be found at - https://derwentferries.com.au/timetable/.

Applicants are required to consult with State Growth prior to lodging and permits. Please contact RiverDerwentFerries@stategrowth.tas.gov.au.

Before starting the online application all necessary documents must be available for uploading.

Documents:

• Risk Management/Mitigation Plan
• Additional vessel specifications as required.

Please note the application will only be able to be submitted when documents are uploaded.

Applications must be received by the Department of State Growth at least 20 business days before your expected start date for activity or works, to allow enough time to assess your application.

No activity and/or works are to be undertaken until a written permit has been issued.

Please use the Bellerive Wharf Berthing permit form (PDF) and submit to RiverDerwentFerries@stategrowth.tas.gov.au.