A 700-tonne gantry has arrived in Devonport, marking a key milestone in the construction of the new berth that will service the state’s next-generation Spirit of Tasmania ships.
The custom-built structure, which stands 50 metres tall and spans over 30 metres wide, was shipped from China and will be used to load and unload vehicles, trucks and caravans onto the new vessels.
It is significantly larger than the infrastructure currently servicing the existing Spirit of Tasmania ships.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the delivery was a sign that the long-delayed project was progressing well.
“Today marks a big milestone towards the delivery of Berth 3,” he said. “This prefabricated gantry is pivotal to the completion of Berth 3.”
Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kerry Vincent said the project remained on track for its October 2026 finish.
“This site is buzzing and with the asphalt down, streetlights up and the freight office set up, things are moving at a rate of knots.”
TT Line chair Ken Kanofski said the gantry’s arrival removed one of the project’s biggest remaining risks.
“It reduces the risk for the project substantially,” he said.
Kanofski explained that the gantry had been fully assembled and tested in China before being disassembled, painted and shipped to Devonport — a journey that took just over two weeks.
The structure still needs to be fitted with hydraulics and other equipment before being erected on site.
Once complete, either Spirit IV or Spirit V will be brought to Devonport to commission the gantry and test that it is functioning correctly.
Kanofski confirmed TT Line remained confident the project would be delivered on budget.
“TT Line is confident we are on track for the new vessels to commence service on Bass Strait in October this year,” he said.
“The project will be completed within the previously announced budget amount of $493 million,” he said.
The project was initially forecast to cost just $90 million.
Kanofski said taxpayers are forking out “just a little under” $900,000 a month to berth Spirit IV in Geelong, despite estimates of $600,000 a month last year.
He says the costs include crew, fuel, and mooring costs.
“We need a crew and we need fuel, and we need all of those things, no matter where these vessels are,” he said.
Meanwhile, Labor’s Shadow Infrastructure Minister Anita Dow accused Rockliff of “pretending he hasn’t ruined the reputation of the Spirits of Tasmania”.
“Under the Liberals’ watch, the Spirit replacement project has been an infrastructure stuff-up of epic proportions,” she said.
“Let’s not forget there is also a half a billion dollar hit to the Tasmanian economy each year the new ships are delayed.”
