From frustration to celebration: New Spirit ferry arrives in home port

A sense of celebration and anticipation filled Devonport today as the Spirit of Tasmania IV, one of two new Bass Strait ferries, made its inaugural arrival at its home port. The milestone follows years marked by significant delays and escalating costs.

“

I was here around 7am and I was with thousands of other Tasmanians … people of all ages.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff joined thousands of Tasmanians to welcome the vessel, describing the moment as the "dawn of a new era for tourism, for freight, for Tasmania." He noted the palpable excitement and pride among the crowd as they watched the ship navigate into its berth. "People were excited and people were very proud as they could see their ship, Spirit IV, sail up the river, turn on a dime and back in perfectly to the gantry," he told reporters.

However, the journey to this point has been far from smooth. The Spirit IV and its sister ship, Spirit V, were originally slated for service in 2021. The ferry replacement program, initiated in 2018, has been plagued by setbacks. State parliament's Public Accounts Committee revealed in May that the program's cost had surpassed its initial business case by $717 million. A substantial portion of this overrun is linked to the construction of the new docking facilities in Devonport.

“

I got the real sense there that this was a dawn of a new era for tourism, for freight, for Tasmania.

Despite the challenges, Premier Rockliff emphasized a forward-looking perspective. "This is about looking forward," he stated, acknowledging the inherent difficulties in large-scale projects. "But big projects are here for the next generation, the next three decades or more. They are the projects that are worth the investment, they're worth the blood, sweat and tears because they always deliver."

“

People were excited and people were very proud as they could see their ship, Spirit IV, sail up the river, turn on a dime and back in perfectly to the gantry.

Ferry operator TT-Line's chair, Ken Kanofski, confirmed that Spirit IV will undergo two days of rigorous testing in Devonport, focusing on the integration of its systems with the new gantry. "The purpose is really to test the gantry and the ship together in a live environment," Kanofski explained. Spirit V is also scheduled for similar testing in September. Both new vessels remain on track to commence passenger services in October.

“

But this is about looking forward … and big projects like this have their challenges, there's no doubt about that.