Devonport locals are being warned to prepare for around-the-clock construction noise, with works now underway on the new Spirit of Tasmania berth.
The fast-tracked timeline for the critical infrastructure project was raised in Parliament on Tuesday, amid growing concerns about the impact of continuous drilling and pile-driving on nearby homes.
“The race is on to complete the Devonport berths and the two new Spirit vessels so the State avoids further costly delays,” said Braddon MP Miriam Beswick.
She questioned whether the works would cause “significant noise disruption” and if complaints could trigger additional setbacks.
Transport Minister Eric Abetz acknowledged the community’s concerns but backed the construction schedule as essential to keeping the project on track.
“First of all, we had criticism that things weren’t happening and now of course there are those elements in the community complaining that things are happening,” Abetz said.
“If you want a berth there, there will be the requirement of pile driving, etc. And believe it or not, that creates noise.”
Abetz confirmed that contractors had notified nearby residents about potential noise impacts, while assuring that all work would comply with EPA requirements.
He urged the community to weigh the short-term pain against the long-term gain.
“I am hopeful that the people will accept that some noise is part of the price to pay for the delivery of a Berth 3,” he said.
“I would like to think that most people would see the inconvenience of the noise at the moment will be something that they will be able to look back on and say, well, that was a short-term inconvenience for a huge long-term benefit for the Tasmanian economy.”
“Will there be noise? Yes, there will. The contractor will try to minimise that as much as possible.”
The long-delayed berth is vital to accommodate the new Spirit of Tasmania vessels, with the project already under pressure to meet deadlines.
