The Spirit of Tasmania’s trip home will cost more millions, says TT-Line. Photo: Spirit of Tasmania
The ‘wayward’ Spirit of Tasmania IV is to return home after talks for find a short-term leaser for it in the UK fell through.
Transport Minister Eric Abetz says he told TT-Line to halt talks with a broker when it became evident that an agreement will not be reached.
Work is now under way to bring the 212m-long 48,000 tonne vessel home to Tasmania.
It has been docked at Leigh, near Edinburgh, since December. The ferry is unable to use the current Devonport terminal which is too small and is being upgraded.
Abetz says they had done all they could to find a short-term deal on that side of the world.
“We had an opportunity to secure an agreement worth tens of millions of dollars for the Tasmanian taxpayer; it would have been economically irresponsible not to explore this,” he says.
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Abetz says other similar leases provided more than 50 million euros (A$83.7m) to vessel owners which they had sought for themselves.
He also attacked Labor for its “negativity” over the matter and whose disparaging commentary “harmed the state’s economic interests”.
“The relentless negativity is hurting the state’s economic opportunities, and it’s time to move forward together,” Abetz claims.
TT-Line will continue with plans to relocate the vessel, and a further update regarding timelines will be provided in due course.
LABOR REACTION
Shadow Treasurer (Labor) Josh Willie welcomed the decision but says it is at least four months overdue at a cost in the millions.
The government had been paying a minimum of $47,000 a week for a minimum 30-day stay for the ferry.
Spirit IV was berthed in the Scottish city of Leith since its completion by Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) last September. A second ferry, Spirit V, is being built in that shipyard.
“Throughout this sorry saga everyone could see that leasing the ship wasn’t going to happen, including TT-Line, which told parliament it was very unlikely,” Willie says.
“The ferry fiasco has been the biggest infrastructure stuff-up in Tasmania’s history but the cover-up has been even worse than the crime.”
He also questioned if there had been a genuine leasing offer given a Scottish Government denial that it had been in talks to possibly use the ferry as a refugee camp.
The day before, Opposition Leader Dean Winter pointed out that the state government had given Finnish shipbuilder RMC $80m last year to finish the ferry.
“This doesn’t add up, Tasmanians aren’t being told the full truth about these negotiations,” he says.
“Labor will use every mechanism available to it in Parliament next week to get answers on behalf of Tasmanian taxpayers,” Winter vowed.
