00:00Halfway across the world, the bigger and better Spirit of Tasmania ships are almost ready.
00:09The problem is, their home port is not.
00:12The completion of berth three is likely to be February 2027.
00:20The best case scenario is October 2026, and the government's proposed interim solution
00:27to temporarily upgrade another berth has been ruled out as unsafe and commercially unviable.
00:34I think we can all be agreed that if it is unsafe, it is unreasonable.
00:40Now the government has to figure out what to do with the ships, the first of which has
00:45to leave Finland by mid-November.
00:47It's leaning towards leasing them out.
00:50The TT line is exploring and scoping as we speak to determine whether or not it is viable
00:57for us to lease these vessels and obtain some money back for the people of Tasmania.
01:04If that fails, it's also looking at places to store them.
01:08Most notably southern Tasmania, Hobart, Malaysia or Scotland, to name a few.
01:15Critics say the government has mismanaged the entire project.
01:19Sending the spirits to Singapore was a bad option.
01:22Having them sitting in the Derwent doing nothing is a bad option, and leasing them out to another
01:26country is a bad option.
01:28These are all bad options for our state.
01:31It's more than just embarrassing, this is a calamity for Tasmania.
01:34It's one that we will be feeling for many generations to come.
01:38The government's tried to soften the blow, announcing a $26 million tourism package that
01:44includes a $10 million voucher scheme, more double day sailings and subsidised fares.
01:49But it's unlikely to make up for the cost of the new spirits not running.
01:54Economist Sol Eslake says that's $350 million per year.
02:00We were going to see 40% additional capacity coming through on those spirits.
02:05What these initiatives need to do is turn the dial so we can continue to see that type
02:09of capacity increase.
02:12Working in a construction site that was meant to be finished back in August.
02:17The Premier says his focus is on getting the job done.
02:21We must look forward and do the best we possibly can to minimise any brand or reputational
02:29damage.
02:33A government trying to stay afloat.
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