Without a sound proposal, it was not possible to produce a master plan that included what mayor Hamish McDouall describes as a highly ambitious idea. That said, nothing in stage one of the master plan excludes Midwest Ferries, and there has been much creative thinking go into keeping the door open. There is now an appeal for donations and, if the project goes ahead, Mr Johnson says donations can be converted into shares. Mr Johnson believes he will raise the money, and says his sums and research suggest the ferry project is far more than a pie-in-the-sky dream. Mr Johnson is under no illusion about the many challenges ahead but he doesn't see anything that can't be worked through.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 10, 2017 18:22 UTC