The Spirit of Tasmania may be reliant on taxpayer subsidies and unable to handle increases in passengers in the long term if it continues to dock in Devonport, Burnie Chamber of Commerce and Industry has warned.
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The Advocate revealed on Thursday the existing Spirit ships would be replaced by 2021 with two, custom-built vessels that are 30 per cent larger.
But BCCI president Peter Holm questioned why the ships were specifically being built to fit into the Mersey River when the deep waters of Burnie could accommodate much larger vessels.
“There's no point trying to fit a quart into a pint pot because it ain’t going to fit,” he said.
We envisage that they should be building the Spirit vessels probably as much as twice the carrying capacity if not more than they are now.
- Peter Holm
Dr Holm said his view wasn’t parochial but based on concerns about continued costs of dredging the Mersey River and the inefficiencies of using smaller ships.
“Our reservations are about due diligence, good governance and political decisions,” he said.
Devonport Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Stacey Sheehan said the new Spirits were a “great use of public money” and would be great for the local economy but didn’t want to comment on moving the ships to Burnie.
While Devonport City Council didn’t respond to request for comment, Burnie mayor Alvwyn Boyd did weigh in on the debate.
“Burnie City Council has previously acknowledged its support for Devonport to remain as the primary passenger port for Tasmania as long as the port had the capacity to support larger ships,” he said.
Alderman Boyd hoped the decision to continue to operate the Spirits from Devonport was strategic and not due to political expediency.
Mayor Boyd said that it appeared that the new ships would be designed to ensure they could continue to berth in Devonport.
We would hope that the decision to continue to have the ferries berth in Devonport is a strategic decision rather than due to political expediency.
- Alvwyn Boyd
“The Government needs to confirm that there are no additional costs to taxpayers in ship design to enable the ferries to remain in Devonport, when a more efficient and cost effective solution could be presented by using the Burnie Port,” he said.
TT-Line operates the Spirits and chairman Michael Grainger said the company had done analysis of the Devonport port and found no issues with the new vessels berthing there and no need for upgrades.
"That's where the infrastructure is; that's where it should be," he said.
Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding said Devonport was “the natural home of the Spirits”.
"It's in the centre of the northern coast. It's a quieter port than Burnie, which is a heavy industrial port and a very busy port indeed,” he said.
"There are reasons why you could operate a passenger service out of [Burnie], however, we looked at it closely and in any event, it was our policy aim to have our TT-Line vessels remain in Devonport.”
Lachlan Bennett
Lachlan Bennett is a journalist based in Burnie with an interest in politics, primary industries, transportation, tourism and the West Coast.
Lachlan Bennett is a journalist based in Burnie with an interest in politics, primary industries, transportation, tourism and the West Coast.
