TT LINE has bowed to the inevitable and announced a 15% emergency fuel surcharge (EFS) for passenger/vehicle bookings on the Spirit of Tasmania ferries.
The EFS applies to all new bookings made on or after today [31 March 2026], for travel occurring on or after that date, but existing bookings will not be affected. The surcharge amount will be calculated as a percentage of the total fare at the time of booking and will be displayed in the final price summary.
The surcharge applies to passenger fares, accommodation, vehicle, and additional extras (including but not limited to kennel fees) and is strictly non-refundable. It is a temporary measure only and will be reviewed regularly, the company says.
In a statement, TT-Line said it is committed to removing the levy at the earliest opportunity, though it may continue to be applied at some level even after fuel prices decrease in order to distribute costs and reduce the impost on individual passengers.
The company will report any extra fuel expense and the revenue collected from the fuel levy to its shareholder ministers.
Freight customers are already paying a fuel levy as part of their contracts under a long-standing TT-Line policy and accepted industry standard.
TT-Line chairman Ken Kanofski said like other transport companies, TT-Line was facing an 80% rise in fuel prices.
“Fuel represents TT-Line's second largest expense, and the current rates are projected to impact the company by more than $50 million,” he said.
“Such increases are unsustainable for any transport business, which explains why fuel levies are being introduced across the industry.”
Mr Kanofski said the levy was intended to offset higher fuel costs for business sustainability, not for profit.
“TT-Line has set it as a partial recovery, considering the effects on customers and Tasmania's tourism industry,” he said. “The actual amount recovered will depend on demand conditions and how fuel price increases impact driving holidays.”
Meanwhile, Spirit of Tasmania V, currently a few days out of Cape Town on its delivery voyage from Leith, Scotland will become a feature of the annual MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) winter festival Dark Mofo.
The ro-pax will be berthed at Hobart’s Macquarie 2 wharf and included as part of the festival’s Dark Park free entry zone. Organisers say the vehicle decks will play host to 'rabid autonomous robot dogs', short films and light-based art installations.
Dark Mofo artistic director Chris Twite told the ABC using the ship was a "once in a lifetime opportunity".
"Who gets to show artworks in the hold of a 48,000-tonne ship?
"We're going to be using the freight decks, these giant, long industrial spaces that usually host vehicles of trucks and cars, but we're turning them into pavilions for art and it should be an incredible experience," he said.
Mr Twite said the "steel interiors" of the lower decks were "literally heavy metal".
Dark Mofo runs 11-22 June.