All eyes are on Kangaroo Island. Is the tourism mecca prepared?
The road to KI’s tourism goldmine is littered with potholes, writes Mike Smithson, who says the island’s infrastructure is not prepared for the influx of vehicles soon to make landfall.
The majesty of our treasured Kangaroo Island is set for a right, royal shake-up in coming months when Sealink’s new super ferries hit the high seas.
Wanggami and Ruwi are state-of-the-art vessels and will redefine travel for residents, business, freight operators and tourists.
Just about every South Australian has an island holiday in their sights, but that’s now part of an ongoing problem.
As the final master plans for the ferries’ key terminals and surrounds at Cape Jervis and Penneshaw were revealed last Friday, many locals can see more problems being created than resolved.
The catch-22 is that the plans are yet to be funded.
Music icon Katy Perry is the latest celebrity to put Kangaroo Island on the global tourist map with her fly-in, fly-out visit to the luxurious Southern Ocean Lodge for a weekend break between Australian concerts.
Big names, matched with big views and an even bigger range of unique experiences make our beloved island a must-see mecca for most, including the rich and famous, to put on their bucket lists.
It’s a pity Katy didn’t travel via Sealink, whereby the next vessel could be aptly named the Perry Ferry.
But on serious note, Penneshaw was once the island’s sleepy gateway town with a manageable stream of eager visitors quickly passing through to other major island attractions.
These super ferries will be able to accommodate more passengers and vehicles including extra B-double trucks.
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Success breeds success and more visitors will mean more freight is needed to service the growing population.
Under the plan, B-doubles will still travel down the main drag after leaving the new ferries.
On the other side of the Backstairs Passage waterway, there’s also limited expansion earmarked for the Cape Jervis harbour facilities.
The jetty needs replacing, the breakwater requires upgrading, a larger capacity ramp is essential, and a new link road would accommodate more vehicles, large and small.
But again, there’s absolutely no government funding in the pipeline.
Local Penneshaw resident, architect and former Glenelg footy premiership player Fred Phillis says the log jam of trucks in Middle Terrace is already unmanageable.
“They put pedestrians, especially the elderly and children, at great risk just crossing the road,” he said.
A reduced 40 kph speed limit’s recommended, but many Islanders say existing congestion slows traffic to a crawl anyway.
Phillis has attended community meetings and has little faith in the government’s decision makers.
“They’re virtually doing nothing,” he says.
Kangaroo Island’s mayor says alternatives have been kicking around for years but money and the economic reality are the stumbling blocks.
Michael Pengilly partly agrees with Phillis’ assessment of avoiding Middle Terrace for heavy traffic and has a logical, if unachievable, solution.
He says a plan was mooted more than 30 years ago to build a port just west of Christmas Cove which is around the coastline from Penneshaw.
It’s marginally further than the shortest route to the mainland but offers relatively protected waters and would be an easy natural landing for Sealink.
“Captains will tell you that location is not much of a problem,” he said.
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“Ultimately the government will have to do something, but funding is always an issue.”
Safe preservation of little penguin colonies is another major red flag there.
So, such an alternative landing facility near Christmas Cove is invisible, not even an over-the-horizon mirage in this master plan.
New ports are not the flavour of the decade along the island’s northern coast.
A proposed timber shipping port was eventually knocked on the head and helped bring about the demise of former Liberal Attorney-General Vickie Chapman.
So, what about a ring road around Penneshaw as a cheaper alternative for heavy traffic?
“That would also probably be a good idea, but they wouldn’t even look at it,” according to Pengilly.
On the plus side, the plan recommends a new walking loop track around Penneshaw’s attractions.
The other X-factor is the looming avalanche of cruise ships.
Thousands of tourists converge on Penneshaw for day trips, and then spread their wings from there to Kingscote, Seal Bay or even Flinders Chase.
It sounds good on paper, but many of these people don’t spend their tourist dollars in vast amounts in Penneshaw.
A tea towel, teaspoon or a snow dome might open their purses, but local wines and other tasty treats don’t necessarily rake in the money.
In the blink of an eye, they’re back on board where the free buffets and cheap drinks will always win the day.
A new port at Kingscote is also out of the question as the waters are far too shallow for these floating palaces to get close to shore.
There’s little chance of the island’s existing port facilities ever leaving public hands.
Former Liberal Premier Dean Brown had the foresight to rule that out.
He didn’t want to see Kangaroo Island held to ransom by private operators and it remains that way today.
So, Islanders are wedged between a rock and a hard place.
They’re sitting on a tourism goldmine but the road to the entrance is littered with tricky potholes.
Celebrities and the super-rich will still come and go.
Katy Perry might see reason to “Roar” about the island’s delights, but the next State Treasurer, whoever that may be, is likely to be “Hot n Cold” at the next Budget, and well beyond.
Try another 10 years, the ever-wary KI mayor predicts.
Mike Smithson is weekend presenter and political analyst for 7NEWS.
