After failing to secure a lease for the newly built Spirit of Tasmania IV ferry, the Premier has conceded that the still-under-construction Spirit V is “unlikely” to be leased.
The state government, through a broker appointed by ferry operator TT-Line, had been searching for a lessee for Spirit IV for several months.
Transport Minister Eric Abetz said last week that there had been a number of interested parties, including one that made an offer to lease the ship.
That lease offer did not come to fruition and, as a result, Spirit IV will soon be brought to Tasmania, where it will first be docked in Hobart.
Labor leader Dean Winter said the state government pushed ahead with taking the ship to market against warnings from TT-Line that it was highly unlikely the ships would secure a lease.
“Despite this clear advice, you spent months and millions of dollars pretending you could lease out our new ships, including most recently as a floating refugee camp,” he said.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the government had explored leasing options to maximise value for the Tasmanian taxpayer.
“We explored, it didn’t work out, the ships are going back to Tasmania to be fitted out and the like, of which we look forward to celebrating the arrival of Spirit 4 when it comes,” he said.
“When it comes to Spirit V, it is extremely unlikely that a lease arrangement will be found.”
“And there’s reasons for that, because my understanding is that the market would want at least two years of leasing arrangements for a viable proposition.”
