Kinetic, Australasia’s largest bus operator, has struck a deal to buy one of Tasmania’s best-known bus companies, Tassielink Transit.
The acquisition further tightens Kinetic’s grip on the state’s bus network and adds to a string of purchases that have made it Tasmania’s largest privately owned government contractor.
Kinetic entered Tasmania in 2018 when it launched the SkyBus service at Hobart Airport.
It has since expanded rapidly, buying Tasmanian Redline Coaches in 2021 and O’Driscoll Coaches in 2023.
Tassielink runs services linking greater Hobart with the Huon Valley, Tasman Peninsula, east coast and Southern Midlands, as well as routes in the Launceston region and on the West Coast.
It operates 39 buses from its Derwent Park depot and satellite sites, running more than 100 services a day.
The business has been owned and led by the Dewsbery family since 2020.
Managing director Shane Dewsbery, known across Tasmania as ‘Bubbles’, has been with Tassielink for more than 30 years.
He thanked staff for their loyalty and professionalism as the sale was announced.
“This has never simply been a business to us. It has been a family business built around our people and the needs of our local communities,” he said.
“Ultimately, this decision was about making sure Tassielink has the right foundations for its next stage and protecting the interests of our customers, our people and the communities we serve.”
“There is sadness in bringing this chapter to an end, but we are enormously proud of what we have built and excited about the future of the business.”
Kinetic says drivers and frontline staff will remain in place, with passengers to see no change to routes or timetables.
“Shane and his family have built a business that has a proud record of serving Tasmanian communities and we look forward to continuing their legacy,” Kinetic Group chief executive Michael Sewards said.
Kinetic Tasmania general manager Andrew Grzinic said the local team was looking forward to welcoming its new colleagues.
“They’re known across Tasmania as a team who genuinely care about their passengers and that’s exactly the kind of team we want alongside us,” he said.
“Our focus over the coming months is a smooth and seamless transition for the Tassielink team, their customers and the communities they serve.”
The purchase comes just weeks after Kinetic settled a pay dispute that triggered Tasmania’s first private-sector bus strikes.
The deal, backed by drivers in July, brought all of Kinetic’s Tasmanian drivers onto a single enterprise agreement for the first time.
Earlier acquisitions had left staff on a patchwork of pay rates, with some covered by an older enterprise agreement and others by the industry award.
The Tassielink deal is expected to be completed later this year, subject to regulatory approvals.
