Tasmanian tourism businesses and tourists have reacted with frustration at news the capacity of the Bass Strait ferries won't be increased until 2026. That's when a new, deeper berth is expected to be ready in Devonport for the larger replacement vessels. The delay is being felt by food businesses, hotels, and caravan parks, with one north-west brewery owner calling it "a kick in the guts".
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00Brewery owner Scott Seymour has been eagerly awaiting new, bigger Spirit of Tasmania ferries
00:07for years.
00:08We built our brewery in Devonport, thinking that Devonport was going to become a real
00:13hub, which it already is, but we're really counting on that extra influx of people, particularly
00:18onto the ports.
00:19News the replacement ferries won't be able to sail at full capacity until early 2026
00:26has left him flat.
00:27I can't tell you how disappointing it is.
00:29It's really a real blow for us.
00:32In the meantime, they'll use an upgraded berth one.
00:36But it's shallower, so in the short term, the new ferries will only be able to carry
00:40as many passengers and caravans as the old ships.
00:44A ferry without a port is like a pub with no beer, and it's hurting tourism operators,
00:49particularly in the north-west and the north, but we know that people who come here on the
00:52Spirit travel around the state.
00:56Tourist Gordon Sampson wanted to tour Tasmania in summer, but a lack of availability meant
01:02he's here in winter instead.
01:04The first time I looked, there were no availabilities until March next year, so that's why we had
01:09to bring our date forward to get a booking to get over.
01:13That's the only way people can get here, so it's got to be the most important part of
01:18travel to Tasmania.
01:20A lack of spots on the Spirit is something caravan park owner Ted Collins hears about
01:25often.
01:26They tell me all the time, I've stored vans here for people that have flown home.
01:29The government says delivering the new ships and port infrastructure is complex, and it's
01:34getting on with the job.
01:36But businesses say they're hurting now, and want the bigger and better Spirits delivered
01:41as soon as possible.