SeaRoad Executive Chair Chas Kelly expresses concerns about plan to dock Spirits at Berth 1 in Devonport
The head of a freight shipping company that works out of Devonport has expressed concerns about a proposed temporary solution for the Spirits. His alternative solutions.
Tasmania
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Expert advice has landed on Premier Jeremy Rockliff’s desk about how to proceed with the Spirits amid concerns about the temporary Berth 1 in Devonport.
The new report comes as Labor Deputy Leader Anita Dow and SeaRoad Executive Chair Chas Kelly express worries about the safety and financial worth of the infrastructure along the Mersey River.
A Tasmanian government spokesperson said a plan on what is next for the Spirits and the associated infrastructure in Devonport would be unveiled soon.
“The Premier has received the expert report and is currently considering the advice. He will lay out the way forward early next week,” the spokesperson said.
“The Premier has been clear: we will sort the spirits, fix our Government businesses and back our tourism industry.”
The most recent proposal was to use Berth 1 at East Devonport for the new Spirits until the infrastructure at the same site was completed.
Mr Kelly said the temporary berth was “a great waste of money at the moment because it’ll only be used for a short period of time”.
He also believed that there were other cheaper options.
“We’ve proposed that there’s an opportunity to take the ships to Bell Bay, which I believe has been ruled out for various reasons,” Mr Kelly said
“One of the best things could be that they leave them in Europe or warmer water – which they need to be in – or even, they could short-term charter them and make some money out of it.”
However, the “big concern” for Mr Kelly and Searoad was that having the Spirits dock at Berth 1 was a “risk to property”.
“And who knows, it could be a risk to life as well. One would hope that a collision between one of our boats and the Spirits never happens,” he said.
“If they touch, the damage is going to be substantial.
“And if both shops were damaged enough to go to dry dock, the closest of which is in Singapore, then there would be a chance that Tasmania would be left without two ships.”
Ms Dow – also Labor’s Infrastructure Spokeswoman – said that according to Mr Kelly, Peter Gemmell, TT-Line and TasPorts Berth 1 was unsafe to be used by the new Spirits.
“Even after he was briefed on the safety issues at Berth 1, Premier Rockliff allowed Ministers Abetz and Ferguson to issue a Ministerial Direction instructing works to commence on a patchwork port solution,” she said.
“Berth 1 was a public relations patch-up announcement for Liberal Ministers who were looking to avoid further embarrassment.
“The evidence speaks for itself; why won’t the Premier take it off the table?”
Originally published as SeaRoad Executive Chair Chas Kelly expresses concerns about plan to dock Spirits at Berth 1 in Devonport
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