Tassie Ferry Fiasco Nears Finish

From Finland to Hobart via Fremantle, Spirit of Tasmania IV eventually arrives in Hobart

We recently brought you our very popular story on Spirit of Tasmania IV, one of the new Tassie ferries built in Finland, as she called by Fremantle on her way ‘home’ to Hobart.

We then tracked her on her way from Freo to Hobart, wondering if she might call by Devonport on her way to, to say hello to the folk at the port from where she will eventually operate across the Bass Strait. She didn’t.

Instead she proceed in and made a grand entrance up the Derwent into Hobart, as this image shows.

And here she is now tied up in Hobart, courtesy of a social media post credit Jnp Tas.

This is where she is moored, quite near Constitution Dock.

As she glided into Hobart’s mist yesterday like a ghost from the future — Spirit IV finally completed her 27,000 km journey from Scotland where she has been languishing after her construction in Finland. But while the new ferry is now in Hobart, her berth is not. And therein lies the rub.

The new ferry was meant to herald a new era in sea travel between Tasmania and Victoria. Instead, it’s become a case study in misaligned planning. The Devonport berth – from where the ferries operate to mainland Australia and which are essential for accommodating the larger ferries — won’t be ready until October 2026, nearly a year after the arrival of Spirit IV.

Originally budgeted at $90 million, the berth’s cost has ballooned to $493 million, with delays attributed to contractor changes, scope creep, and what locals are calling “classic Tasmanian infrastructure chaos.” The ship, meanwhile, as we said in our recent report, spent months docked in Scotland, racking up $4.3 million in storage costs.

The fallout has been swift. The infrastructure minister lost his job, and the debacle helped trigger a no-confidence motion against Premier Jeremy Rockliff, leading to the recent early Tasmanian election. All in all a ‘shambles’, as more than one Apple Islander has been heard to complain.

When Spirit IV finally sails out of Devonport across the Bass Strait to Victoria, passengers with vehicles can apparently expect fares starting as low as $125 one-way for a standard car. That’s a promotional rate though. After that one can expect prices will vary with season and demand.

As we explained in our recent report, Spirit IV (and in time Spirit V too) will offer 4,098 lane metres for vehicles — a significant upgrade from the current ferry fleet. That will mean more visitors, including from Freo we are sure, to visit Tassie.

The ferry operator, btw, has confirmed that crew safety training and final fit-outs are underway in Hobart, with an eight-week preparation window before the ship heads to Geelong, Victoria for further testing.

Fingers crossed 🤞 the ferry fiasco is nearly finished and before long we can all enjoy the new ferry service to and from Tasmania.

By Michael Barker, Editor, Fremantle Shipping News

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