LORD Mayor Paul Garrard and union stalwarts led by legendary activist Jack Mundey were all beating the same drum on Parramatta Wharf on Friday save the Parramatta RiverCat service.

Dennis Aubrey from the Balmain Ukulele Klub sings his ferry protest song, Safe in Public Hands, at the Charles Street Wharf

Both the lord mayor and the activists chose Friday to launch their separate campaigns to keep ferries in public hands and to upgrade the service to Parramatta.

In the morning, Mundey and his crew of activists were down on the wharf in the morning with their cry for the ferry service to stay in public hands.

Mundey, former president of the Builders’ Labourers Federation who is credited with saving The Rocks, joined members of the Communist Party of Australia, Maritime Union and Socialist Alliance to speak out against privatisation of the Parramatta ferry service.

Mr Mundey, who played with the Eels for three seasons in the 1950s, said he supported the Save our Sydney Ferries Community Group’s Western Sydney Gotta Love Sydney Ferries campaign.

“We know that western Sydney is bursting at the seams, and cutting back or selling off vital ferry services will only add more cars to the road,’’ Mr Mundey said, just after the first Rivercat for the day departed Charles St Wharf about 10am.

“We need more public transport, not more sell-offs.’’

Parramatta State Labor MP Tanya Gadiel told the crowd: “We also need to send a message to Sydney Ferries management get your act together.

“People are sick of services being cancelled.’’

In the afternoon, Cr Garrard met the Advertiser on the wharf, calling for “a modern ferry for a modern city’’.

He slammed the State Government for the state of the RiverCat service to Parramatta, particularly the regular cancellations due to tidal conditions.

“The tidal flows of the Parramatta River should be no surprise to Sydney Ferries or the State Government and we must now be getting down to the business of establishing a commuter ferry service for our $12 billion local economy,’’ Cr Garrard said.

“We’ve always maintained that the commuter service for Parramatta should include the most suitable vessel for the river.’’

Cr Garrard said Parramatta was projected to have an additional 30,000 jobs and 20,000 residents within 20 years, making the proposed Circular Quay direct to Parramatta service “short-sighted’’.

He said that after Circular Quay, Parramatta was the most frequently patronised wharf on the river.

CANCELLED SERVICES

DUE to very low tides this month:

* Friday, October 16: Departing Circular Quay 12.30pm and 1.30pm; departing Parramatta at 1.30pm and 2.30pm.

* Saturday, October 17: Departing Circular Quay at 12.30pm, 1.30pm and 3pm; departing Parramatta at 1.30pm, 2.30pm, 4pm.

* Sunday, October 18: Departing Circular Quay at 1.30pm, 3pm and 4pm; departing Parramatta at 2.30pm, 4pm and 5pm.

* Monday, October 19: Departing Circular Quay at 3pm and 4pm; departing Parramatta 4pm, 5pm.

* Tuesday, October 20: Departing Circular Quay at 3pm and 4pm; departing Parramatta 4pm, 5pm.

* Wednesday, October 21: Departing Circular Quay at 4pm and 5.35pm; departing Parramatta at 5pm and 7.10pm.