With long overdue Berth 3 upgrades for the Spirit of Tasmania finally underway, Labor is calling on the Rockliff government to confirm it's still committed to developing required infrastructure to ensure the new ships can refuel with LNG locally.
When the Liberals first made their now-farcical local content commitment in 2021, then Infrastructure Minister Michael Ferguson also committed to purchasing fuel for the new ships in Tasmania.
Labor has since asked questions about the refueling commitment in Parliament, but as we've come to expect with the Spirits and the Liberals, getting answers has been like getting blood from a stone.
Ensuring the new ships can refuel with LNG locally will support Tasmanian jobs, and the option to use the alternative fuel will be far better for Tasmania's clean, green reputation than simply running the ships on diesel alone.
The Liberals have monumentally stuffed up the Spirits, and that can't be changed. But it's vital that in their haste to clean up their mess, they don't give up any more opportunities to support local jobs and get the best outcome for Tasmania.
Dean Winter MP
Labor Leader
