The post-tender spend on Bruny Island ferry infrastructure queried

The timing of spending to upgrade ferry-based infrastructure on Bruny Island is raising eyebrows.

BIG money is being spent upgrading Bruny Island ferry infrastructure despite the State Government stipulating no taxpayer money would go towards works when it invited tenders for the service.

Three companies lodged tenders, the then operator of the service, Bruny Island and Tasman Island Cruises and SeaLink, which ultimately won the contract to carry people and cars between the island and the Tasmanian mainland.

When the government called for tenders it said the successful operator must be able to operate an efficient service with the existing infrastructure.

NEW $7M BRUNY ISLAND FERRY ON COURSE FOR DECEMBER LAUNCH

In Budget Estimates, Transport Commissioner Gary Swain said the infrastructure exclusion was part of making sure the government had comparable proposals to evaluate.

“You would have difficulty evaluating one proposal that had boats and no capital and one that had major capital works and no boat,” Mr Swain said.

Kingborough Mayor Dean Winter said it was glaringly obvious before tenders were called that better facilities were needed for any company to operate an efficient, modern ferry service.

Now, a year after SeaLink won the contract, money has been spent improving the parking and marshalling area at Roberts’ Point and The Mercury has been told the government is set to announce millions will go towards building a second ramp at both Roberts Point and Kettering to enable Sea Link to operate four ferries.

VISION FOR ELECTRIC-POWERED BRUNY ISLAND FERRIES

Labor’s David O’Byrne questioned the government about how the process was handled in Budget Estimates.

Labor shadow treasurer David O'Byrne.

“As soon as you appoint the bid and people become aware of the service you are proposing to deliver there is a massive community outcry. All of a sudden you provide millions of dollars in upgrades to make sure the bid works,” Mr O’Byrne said in parliament.

On Sunday, Mr O’Byrne said the ferry services’ struggle to keep up with demand last summer showed it was not going to work with the current service model and infrastructure.

“We knew investments needed to be made. Islanders and other users of the ferry will welcome that investment but that is not the point,” he said.

“The tender process was a real opportunity to get this right and that opportunity was missed.”

Mr Winter said SeaLink was a professional operator which had done a good job over the last 12 months to get the community on side.

“But this summer could be a difficult one with just two ferries operating,” he said.

“Until all their fast ferries are operating they will struggle. It will also be interesting to see how the transition to SeaLink’s booking system goes.”