Spirit of Tasmania ferries to set sail on the open market

The Spirit of Tasmania vessels will be sold as soon as their replacements arrive, despite the ferries’ value falling more than 10 per cent in the past year, the government has announced.

THE state government will sell the current Spirit of Tasmania vessels on the open market once the replacement ships arrive in the state in 2023 and 2024.

The value of each of the current 194m vessels decreased from $109.8m to $94.8m between 2020 and 2021, according to the most recent valuation.

The fall was attributed to movements in the exchange rate between the Australian dollar and the euro, as well as depreciation.

On Thursday, Infrastructure Minister Michael Ferguson told a government business enterprise committee hearing that the government would seek to sell the ships at the “conclusion” of the replacement process.

The Spirit of Tasmania ferries will be sold once the replacement vessels arrive. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Matray

TT-Line chair Bernard Dwyer said one of the two current vessels would be put on the market when the first replacement ship arrived in Tasmania in late 2023.

“At some point we’ll be operating a new vessel and an old vessel on the run,” he said. “The vessel that comes out of service would then go on the market to be sold.”

Mr Dwyer said interested parties had approached TT-Line about buying the vessels as soon as it announced it would be replacing them, noting that they had “a very good reputation in the world fleet”.

In 2023, Tasmania will host global ferry association Interferry’s annual conference, which Mr Dwyer said would be the “perfect way” to showcase the ships to major ferry operators and owners from around the world.

The Spirit of Tasmania I and II are due to be replaced by 2028.

Follow @rg_inglis

MP seeks crackdown on whip use in horseracing

Tasmania needs to take the lead on banning horse whipping for thoroughbred and harness racing to protect animals, Independent Member for Clark Kristie Johnston says.

In a Government Business Enterprise Committee hearing into TasRacing on Tuesday, Ms Johnston asked Racing Minister Jane Howlett in the presence of TasRacing CEO Paul Eriksson whether the industry had discussed banning or phasing out whipping horses during races.

Independent Member for Clark Kristie Johnston speaks to media on TasRacing horse whipping practices at Parliament Lawns on Wednesday December 1, 2021. Picture: Annie McCann.

Ms Johnston told the media on Wednesday the response from Ms Howlett indicated no firm plans were in train.

“We know for instance that it is illegal to beat a dog or a cat or a domestic animal,” Ms Johnston said.

“But according to the Racing Minister you can go right ahead and beat a horse.

“This is a cruel sport. We know that horses are harmed by whipping and there’s absolutely no need for it.”

At the GBE Committee hearing, Mr Eriksson said a riding protocol committee at the national level of Racing Australia held recent debates involving a “desire for change”.

TasRacing CEO Paul Eriksson during a track inspection at Elwick Racecourse. Picture: Zak Simmonds.

“We are very supportive of whip reform and we would hope to be able to achieve that,” he told the hearing.

“While there is a view that TasRacing, or one state or another, can lead or go out on its own, it’s very difficult when we have a national sport and you have a movement of animals between jurisdictions, between the states, jockeys and drivers.”

Ms Howlett told the Mercury the number of times a jockey could use a whip had reduced in the last four years.

“There are no plans to ban the use of a whip in the Tasmanian racing industry,” she said.

“There are already strong restrictions in place on how the whip can be used during a race.”

Ms Howlett said state legislation was guided by the national body.

But Ms Johnston said Tasmania had an opportunity to change the law first.

“The Minister hid behind the excuse that there needs to be a national approach but there is no reason, no good reason, why Tasmania can’t take the lead here in the industry and can’t put forward the argument for animal welfare,” Ms Johnston said.

“The Minister doesn’t have the guts to do this, nor does the TasRacing Board.

“If they were held to a higher standard … then there would be more people engaged in the particular industry.”