The first new Spirit of Tasmania ferry is set to leave Finland this weekend for its temporary home at Leith in Scotland, despite an agreement not yet being signed with the port.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff told Parliament on Wednesday that Spirit of Tasmania IV would leave Finland by the end of the month ahead of ice conditions in the Baltic Sea.
“Overall rates and required services for the lay-up at Leith is still in the process of being negotiated,” Rockliff said.
It followed questions from Labor leader Dean Winter about the cost of the layover to taxpayers, which has been estimated by TT-Line at $1.2 million per month.
“Will you finally reveal how much Tasmanian taxpayers will have to fork out for our ships to be hidden away in Scotland,” Winter asked.
“Don’t Tasmanians deserve to know?”
Rockliff said he would share “as much as possible” once an agreement has been reached but that the government would “get value for Tasmanian taxpayer dollar”.
“Tasmanian taxpayers interests at the forefront of our minds and Tasmanian taxpayers deserve no less,” he said.
“We will always be open and transparent with the Tasmanian people as the expenditures that we incur when it comes to the leasing arrangements and the like.”
IV will remain in Scotland for the foreseeable future as ferry operator TT-Line continues to seek a temporary leasing option for the vessel.
