TasPorts has rejected claims that it bears any responsibility for the significant delays in building berthing facilities at Devonport for the state’s two new Spirit of Tasmania ferries.
The delays of around three years have left the first of the new vessels sitting idle in Scotland to likely be leased out.
According to TasPorts Interim Chair Arama Doyle, the company completed its part of the project, work on the wharf, on time and within budget.
“I don’t think we contributed to the issue,” she said. “I don’t think we were responsible or contributed. That’s really a question for TT-Line and the minister responsible.”
“We have spent considerable time as a board reviewing all the steps we took as part of that process and we believe that we took all possible steps, available to us.”
Labor’s Shadow Infrastructure Minister Anita Dow called the response from TasPorts “appalling”.
“It took about 10 seconds for the TasPorts GBE hearing to reignite the blame game over the Spirits fiasco,” she said.
“TT-Line were perfectly capable of delivering the project in Geelong with Geelong Port.”
“If TasPorts’ hands are completely clean, why couldn’t they do the same in Devonport?”
The delays have led to multiple resignations, including that of former Infrastructure Minister Michael Ferguson and TT-Line Chair Michael Grainger.
As it stands, the completion of berthing facilities is not expected until 2027.
