Tasmania's New Ferry May Be Used to House Ukrainian Refugees

 

The Scottish government may be closing in on a deal to lease the brand new ferry Spirit of Tasmania IV from the Tasmanian government for the purpose of housing refugees, according to Australian media. The controversial arrangement would provide an interim commercial charter for the ferry, which cannot be put to its intended use until a new terminal is built at Devonport.

Local outlet Pulse Tasmania reports that lease negotiations are now "advanced" and the details may be released soon. Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff has refused to disclose the status of the talks or any of the terms, and declined to rule out the signing of a lease. "When there is an outcome, we will release the details of that outcome," he told ABC Australia, adding that any negotiations are up to state ferry operator TT-Line. 

"We have been clear that we are seeking to secure a lease agreement that provides the best value for Tasmanian taxpayers. If this does not eventuate, the ship will be relocated to Tasmania," a spokesperson for the Tasmanian government told Pulse. 

Spirit of Tasmania IV is already in Scotland at the Port of Leith, awaiting next steps. If the deal is concluded, she would be used to house Ukrainian refugees at the same seaport. She has about 300 cabins, fewer than the Scottish government's previous berthing vessel, the ferry Victoria.  

Tasmania's political opposition has called for suspending the Scottish lease talks and bringing Spirit of Tasmania IV to her home port right away, along with sister ship Spirit of Tasmania V. The shoreside improvements at Devonport will not be ready until 2027, but in the interim the ferries could be used for homeless housing in Tasmania, suggested opposition politician Andrew Jenner. "There are more than 2,000 Tasmanians who are without a home. Spirit IV could house most of them," he told ABC. "Why is that not the priority for the government?"