After years of setbacks, cost overruns and political scrutiny, there was finally cause for celebration in Devonport today as Spirit of Tasmania IV sailed into its home port for the very first time.
Crowds lined the waterfront to welcome the new Bass Strait ferry, with Premier Jeremy Rockliff among those marking the milestone moment. He described the arrival as “the dawn of a new era for tourism, for freight, for Tasmania,” adding that the excitement was palpable as locals watched the vessel glide up the river, execute a tight turn and dock with precision.
But the journey to this point has been anything but smooth. Spirit IV and its sister ship, Spirit V, were originally scheduled to enter service in 2021, part of a long‑planned upgrade to Tasmania’s vital ferry link. Instead, the replacement program became mired in delays and spiralling costs — not only for the ships themselves, but also for the extensive wharf upgrades required to accommodate them.
In May, Tasmania’s Public Accounts Committee revealed the program, initiated in 2018, had blown out by $717 million beyond the original business case. The figure underscored the scale of the challenges faced by the project and intensified public scrutiny over its management.
Today’s arrival, however, offered a rare moment of optimism. For many Tasmanians, seeing Spirit IV finally at berth symbolised progress after years of frustration and the promise of a modernised, more reliable Bass Strait service.
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