The first Spirit of Tasmania vessel which was to be launched in 2023 will now not arrive in the state until 2024 due to delays caused by the war in Ukraine.
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Two new ships were contracted to be built by Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC), with the first vessel to be completed by the end of 2023 and the second to be completed at the end of 2024.
Spirit of Tasmania now provides information on its website that the first vessel will arrive in the first quarter of 2024, while the second will arrive in the last quarter.
Labor leader Rebecca White said the government had botched the Spirit of Tasmania deal yet again.
Infrastructure and Transport Minister Michael Ferguson said the delays were beyond the government's control.
"As a major steelmaking nation, the war in Ukraine has directly impacted European steel and component supplies, a destructive and humanitarian crisis well and truly beyond the Tasmanian Government's control, which the Labor Party is sadly willing to exploit," he said.
"It is a testament to RMC's commitment to this build that the war, which has destroyed so many lives and culture, has delayed our first ship's arrival by only one quarter, and the second ship remains on time."
Ms White said the latest development continued the tradition of Liberal government failing to deliver the basics.
She said project costs had blown out from $688 million to at least $850 million.
"The Rockliff-Ferguson government has completely botched the replacement of the Spirit of Tasmania vessels, with their delivery date blowing out yet again while Tasmanians can't even get on board the existing ferries," Ms White said.
"If the government had kept its initial promise, Tasmanian businesses would have already been involved in supplying things like beds, cabins, speciality timbers, life rafts and other equipment," she said.
"But instead, there is one contract in place to supply content, the vessels won't be here for at least another two years, and Tasmanians are having increasing difficulty booking passage across Bass Strait because there is not enough capacity on the existing Spirits."
Mr Ferguson said claims that local Tasmanian businesses have been excluded from the fit-out are not correct with Crisp Bros & Hawyards to provide steel lashings for the new vessels.
He said $100 million would be used on local goods and services, such as catering equipment, fire doors, compressors, bilge pumps and CCTV and communications systems.
"We look forward to seeing more and more contracts awarded to Tasmanian firms as the project progresses," he said.
"Both vessels will be delivered to TT-Line in 2024 as contracted."
The new ferries were originally going to be built by German shipbuilder FSG to be completed by 2021, but this plan was dropped after financial difficulties developed in the German shipyard.
Finnish builder RMC was then brought into the fold, and while an initial plan in 2020 was put on hold, the contract for two car and passenger ferries for TT-Line Company was confirmed in 2021.
The new Spirit of Tasmania IV and Spirit of Tasmania V will "mark the beginning of a new era of sea travel across Bass Strait".
They will have space for up to 1800 passengers and contain 301 cabines including 12 deluxe cabins, two family suites, 120 porthole cabins, 159 inside cabins and eight accessible cabins.
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