Spirit of Tas ferry to leave Scotland after govt U-turn

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Spirit of Tas ferry to leave Scotland after govt U-turn

A new Spirit of Tasmania ferry is set to leave Scotland bound for the Apple Isle after lease talks spectacularly fell through.

The first of two $900 million Spirit of Tasmania replacement vessels has been docked in the Scottish town of Leith since early December as a required port in Devonport in the state’s northwest hasn’t been built.

Its operator TT-Line in late January said it had entered “commercial negotiations” after receiving an offer to lease the ship.

In a stunning U-turn, the Tasmanian government announced it had instructed TT-Line to immediately cease negotiations and begin planning to relocate Spirit IV to Tasmania.

“TT-Line has been engaging with a broker in good faith,” Transport Minister Eric Abetz said in a statement on Sunday.

“However, it has become evident that an agreement will not be reached.”

It followed the Scottish government shooting down speculation it could lease the Spirit of Tasmania ferry to house Ukrainian refugees.

Tasmania’s government has been paying more than $47,000 a week plus “ancillary services” for a minimum 30-day berth after the ferry left its construction yard in Finland.

The leasing plan was described as a charade by Opposition Leader Dean Winter, who has called for the ferry to be brought to Tasmania.

Despite a deal falling over, Mr Abetz claimed the government had acted in the best interests of the state’s finances.

“We had an opportunity to secure an agreement worth tens of millions of dollars for the Tasmanian taxpayer, and it would have been economically irresponsible not to explore this,” he said.

“Previous similar leases provided more than 50 million euros to vessel owners, and it was prudent that we sought similar arrangements for Tasmanian taxpayers.”

He previously estimated a trip to house the vessel in Tasmania would cost millions.

Spirit IV was meant to arrive in Devonport in late 2024 but the port likely won’t be ready until early 2027.

Treasurer Guy Barnett was unable to say exactly when the vessel would depart and where it would dock in Tasmania.

“The relentless negativity has not helped with respect to these negotiations,” he told reporters.

In December, TT-Line interim chairman Damian Bugg said with the benefit of hindsight the company should not have gotten involved in the port build.

The second of the new ferries is expected to be delivered in 2025.

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