Local businesses and tourists frustrated by delays to more frequent Spirit of Tasmania ferry services
Tasmanian tourism businesses and tourists have reacted with frustration at news the capacity of the Bass Strait ferries won't be increased until 2026. That's when a new, deeper berth is expected to be ready in Devonport for the larger replacement vessels. The delay is being felt by food businesses, hotels, and caravan parks, with one north-west brewery owner calling it "a kick in the guts".
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00:00Brewery owner Scott Seymour has been eagerly awaiting new, bigger Spirit of Tasmania ferries
00:07for years.
00:08We built our brewery in Devonport, thinking that Devonport was going to become a real
00:13hub, which it already is, but we're really counting on that extra influx of people, particularly
00:18onto the ports.
00:19News the replacement ferries won't be able to sail at full capacity until early 2026
00:26has left him flat.
00:27I can't tell you how disappointing it is.
00:29It's really a real blow for us.
00:32In the meantime, they'll use an upgraded berth one.
00:36But it's shallower, so in the short term, the new ferries will only be able to carry
00:40as many passengers and caravans as the old ships.
00:44A ferry without a port is like a pub with no beer, and it's hurting tourism operators,
00:49particularly in the north-west and the north, but we know that people who come here on the
00:52Spirit travel around the state.
00:56Tourist Gordon Sampson wanted to tour Tasmania in summer, but a lack of availability meant
01:02he's here in winter instead.
01:04The first time I looked, there were no availabilities until March next year, so that's why we had
01:09to bring our date forward to get a booking to get over.
01:13That's the only way people can get here, so it's got to be the most important part of
01:18travel to Tasmania.
01:20A lack of spots on the Spirit is something caravan park owner Ted Collins hears about
01:25often.
01:26They tell me all the time, I've stored vans here for people that have flown home.
01:29The government says delivering the new ships and port infrastructure is complex, and it's
01:34getting on with the job.
01:36But businesses say they're hurting now, and want the bigger and better Spirits delivered
01:41as soon as possible.