Calls for Oversight Committee on Spirits of Tasmania Ferry Delays

After years long delays and huge cost blowouts, Labor leader Dean Winter wants a parliamentary oversight committee to monitor the final stage of the Spirits of Tasmania project.

Spirit of Tasmanian IV first sea trial. Picture: Spirit of Tasmania

Labor leader Dean Winter has called for a Parliamentary Oversight Committee to monitor the progress of the new Spirits of Tasmania ferries, which are now set to be stored in Scotland until Devonport’s new docking facilities are ready — potentially not until 2027.

As parliament resumes this week, Mr Winter said the committee was urgently needed to provide Tasmanians and the business community with assurance that the project would finally proceed properly.

“We need to bring these Spirits home,” Mr Winter said on Sunday.

“It’s like drawing blood from a stone when it comes to getting information about these projects, and that’s why we need parliamentary oversight for it.”

Opposition leader Dean Winter speaks to media at Parliament square. Picture: Linda Higginson

The ferries, intended to accommodate growing passenger and freight demand on the Bass Strait, were originally expected to commence service in 2021. The project has already cost the state government nearly $1bn, a blowout of hundreds of millions. Economists estimate that the ongoing delay costs the Tasmanian economy between $300m and $500m annually while the ferries remain out of action.

Mr Winter accused the government of mismanagement and said it would be “reckless and irresponsible” to allow the Liberals to oversee the project without external scrutiny.

“This is one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Tasmania’s history,” Mr Winter said. “It’s worth over a billion dollars just for the ships. What we need to do is make sure we are holding them to account over the course of the next two and a half years.”

The proposed oversight committee would have standard powers to call witnesses, request documents, and provide transparency over government decisions.

Mr Winter also raised concerns about the government’s decision to store the ferries in Scotland, at a cost of some $40,000 a day.

“I suspect many decisions about the Spirits are more about hiding them from Tasmanian eyes than about the finances,” he said.

Greens Leader Dr Rosalie Woodruff said her party would like to hear more about the proposal.

“The Greens are open to a Parliamentary Oversight Committee to ensure transparency around the delivery of the new Spirits of Tasmania,” Dr Woodruff said.

However, Minister for Housing, Planning, and Consumer Affairs Felix Ellis dismissed the need for further oversight.

“Ultimately, I think Tasmanians want to get this job done, not bogged down in more parliamentary processes,” Mr Ellis said.

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Originally published as Calls for Oversight Committee on Spirits of Tasmania Ferry Delays