The Coromandel Colville Business Association has one central ambition: bring the ferry back. Restoring a regular passenger service between Auckland and Coromandel is the driving force behind the organisation's current work, and those leading the push say they are committed to pursuing every available avenue to make it happen.
The ferry service folded when Covid arrived, ending what had been a genuine asset for Aucklanders making the trip to the Coromandel Peninsula and for locals heading the other way. It was always financially fragile, but while it ran it worked. Passengers arrived at Hannafords Wharf at Te Kouma, a few kilometres south of Coromandel township, and for years the idea of bringing the service directly into the commercial wharf in town remained a prospect that never quite came together.
Barry Brickell, a legendary figure in the region, had imagined something grander still: a separate pier near the Coromandel town wharf, with trains carrying passengers to and from the ferry. It was the kind of vision that arrives well ahead of the funding to support it. Environmental objections to the ferry using the town wharf added further complications, and then Cyclones Hale and Gabriel brought their own damage to contend with.
Fullers shows no sign of being ready to resume the route, and it is publicly known that the Fullers business operation is for sale, adding another layer of uncertainty. Despite that backdrop, the Coromandel community has weighed every obstacle against every opportunity and resolved to keep pushing. The belief within the association is that with thorough due diligence and the right infrastructure development, infrastructure capable of generating its own income streams, a revived ferry service is achievable. The view is that it would lift the economic fortunes of Coromandel town and benefit communities further north and across the wider Peninsula, without needing to alter the essential character of the place.
Jenny Ashman, Chair of the Coromandel Colville Business Association, is leading the effort. At a recent public meeting she presented a detailed visual report covering the work completed so far and what still lies ahead. It was the second such gathering the association had held. The first drew 74 people; the second, which the Coromandel Informer attended, brought together 40. As the project develops and the specifics come into sharper focus, the work naturally moves from broad community conversation toward a smaller, more focused group. The room at the second meeting included a strong contingent of experienced business and community thinkers.
Jessica Black, Economic Development Support Advisor at TCDC, has played a significant role in the process, providing practical assistance in preparing reports and examining the economic possibilities that a regular ferry service could open up for the region.
