THE TASMANIAN Government is celebrating the completion of the final component lift for TT Line’s new East Devonport Berth 3 terminal gantry that will serve the new Bass Strait ro-paxes from end-October.
Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Kerry Vincent noted that the structure weighs more than 740 tonnes, stands more than 27 metres tall and is 38-metres wide and comprises seven sections. It was built in China and delivered in CKD form by the heavylift BBC Coral in late January.
Principal contractor BMD will now complete the “fitout” of the gantry, including linkspans, hydraulics, handrails and guardrails required for operations.
Mr Vincent thanked BMD and its partner contractors for completing a highly complex piece of work. “740-tonnes is hard to imagine which made the successful installation of every single piece incredibly important.
This successful completion is fantastic, marking months of complex planning and precision construction work.
“The delivery of Berth 3 is progressing well and is shaping up to be an incredible welcoming to everyone that comes to Tasmania on our new Spirits.”
The gantry supports four steel ramps that connect the concrete ramp to the new ships for the loading and unloading of vehicles. Once the gantry is completed TT Line will sail Spirit of Tasmania IV and V from their lay-up berths in Melbourne to undertake berthing trials at East Devonport.
While the government was lauding the East Devonport work, TT Line chairman Ken Kanofski was telling the Tasmanian Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee in Hobart that the cost overrun on the two new ships now amounts to $773 million, compared to the original price – and that doesn’t factor in the cost of storing the ships in Scotland, Geelong and Melbourne, which has ranged between $600,000 and $900,000 per month per ship.
Mr Kanofski continues to assert that TT Line is not and never has been insolvent and is paying its bills when due.
But, the ABC reported, when asked by Labor's Treasury spokesman Dean Winter to describe the company's financial position, Mr Kanofski said he would describe the current financial position as “very challenging”.
“Obviously, we've inherited a position where because of delays in the berthing project in particular, we're in a situation where we're running four vessels.
“And … it's a lot in terms of the cost of running four vessels when only two of them are revenue-generating.”
Mr Kanofski noted the company was carrying a "substantial" amount of debt and that its interest repayments were "quite high".
Mr Winter asked him to outline what kind of support TT-Line had requested from the government ahead of next week's state budget.
Mr Kanofski declined to reveal the details, citing cabinet confidentiality. "What I can say to you is we've put forward a set of financials and a set of recommendations to the government that would see the business operating in a sustainable way," he said.
The state budget will be delivered on 21 May.