Tasmania’s new Premier has conceded what everyone else has known for months: construction of the new Spirits of Tasmania is in trouble.
Shadow Minister for Infrastructure Shane Broad said Peter Gutwein’s grudging acknowledgement that a delay was inevitable is long overdue.
“We’ve known for some time that the delivery of the Spirits is in doubt, but government has refused to acknowledge the obvious.
“It is going on two years since troubled German shipyard FSG was announced as the preferred shipbuilder for the new Spirit of Tasmania vessels, but not a single day’s work has been done on the two new ships.
“What we now see is the new Premier acknowledging that a delay is certain, but failing to say how the government will get this project back on track, or whether that’s even possible.
“Tourism operators, exporters and travellers want to know when – or whether – the extra capacity will be available.”
Dr Broad said Peter Gutwein and Michael Ferguson have more questions to answer.
“Taxpayers deserve to know when a deposit will be paid, when components will be ordered, when construction will begin, when the ships will be delivered and whether they will be built by FSG – or built at all.
“This is the biggest infrastructure project in Tasmania’s history and the secrecy surrounding it is unacceptable. What have the Liberals got to hide?”
