A free passenger ferry service between Mannum and Cowirra will offer locals a temporary option for accessing essential supplies and services within the Mannum township while the regular ferry is out of service due to rising floodwaters.

With the regular River Murray ferry services at Mannum closed due to rising water levels, the State Government has engaged a local operator, Four Knots Murray River Cruises, to provide the free daily passenger service to cross the river between Mannum and Cowirra.

The community ferry service will commence this Tuesday, 27 December, departing every 30 minutes from either side of the river between 6.30am and 6pm - assisting people to access important supplies, appointments, and services within Mannum.

The passenger-only ferry will seat 20 people on each service, with the crossing taking approximately 15 minutes.

Passengers at Mannum can board the service via the Bowling Club on the driveway next to the Pretoria Hotel, with car parking available at the Shearer car park.

Passengers at Cowirra can board the service at two locations:

• levee bank at the Haythorpe Reserve end, via Hunter Road – limited carparking available
• levee bank via Hallam Terrace – additional car parking available.

To ensure the safety of all on board, passengers will be required to wear a life jacket provided by ferry staff and attend a safety briefing prior to each departure.

For more on River Murray flooding, including information on road closures, ferries and safety advice, please visit the State Government’s dedicated website at www.sa.gov.au/floods.

Schedule of departures

Quotes

Attributable to Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Tom Koutsantonis

The impact of this generational flooding event is being felt right along the river, particularly in Mannum where the community lives on both sides of the river.

With the usual Mannum ferries out of action, we’ve worked quickly with a local business, Four Knots Murray River Cruises, to provide a free passenger ferry service to ensure locals can continue to access appointments, services and get the essential supplies they need at this time.

It doesn’t provide the same service as the regular ferry, but it will help to keep the community connected during this difficult period and provide access to much-needed services, facilities and appointments.

Free services between Mannum and Cowirra will commence from this Tuesday (27 December), with a service accommodating up to 20 passengers at a time leaving either side of the river every half an hour.

All passengers will be given a safety briefing prior to departure and a lifejacket to wear on board, with Four Knots Murray River Cruises completing extensive work to install landing infrastructure to ensure a safe and reliable trip.

Attributable to Four Knots Murray River Cruises owner Chad Blatchford

The Four Knots family is extremely grateful for the opportunity provided by the State Government to serve our community during this difficult time.

This passenger ferry service is an essential way of keeping our community connected.

We appreciate the local Mannum businesses who have supported us in preparing and installing the infrastructure in a short period of time.