Regulars here will know that New Zealand’s lifeline Cook Straits ferry system is in a real crisis as the Government refuses to pay $3 billion for 2 new ferries.

Just round the corner in Tasmania, population 573 000, 12 times that of Arran but like Arran, relying on two ‘lifeline’ ferries, there’s a ‘stuff-up’ (Worse than a fiasco or less bad?).

Here’s the stuff-up, from Yahoo News yesterday:

The start date for two new larger Bass Strait ferries has been pushed further back, with vital berth upgrades several years behind an already delayed schedule. Cost blowouts, finger pointing between state-owned companies and slow infrastructure builds have plagued the delivery of the $900 million-plus replacement Spirit of Tasmania vessels.

Tasmania’s government on Thursday announced a new terminal in Devonport, needed for the vessels to berth, wouldn’t be ready until February 2027. That is more than two years behind the initial schedule and about 12 months later than the most recent estimate.

The first ship is set to arrive in Tasmania from Finland in coming weeks, with Mr Rockliff saying the vessel would likely be leased out until the new berth is ready. It has been revealed in recent months the Devonport upgrades wouldn’t be ready in time for the arrival of the first new ship.

A proposal to modify an existing berth in Devonport, to allow the vessels to begin work before the new berth is finished, has been scrapped over safety concerns. A review of the Spirit of Tasmania infrastructure, released on Thursday, found the plan would cost $60 million and risked ships colliding.

_{https://au.news.yahoo.com/ferry-fiasco-sinks-further-berth-023137853.html}

Is it just me or is this a bigger stuff up than the new Arran ferries delays?

What’s the Tasmanian government doing? Just making things worse. See:

The former head of Spirit of Tasmania operator TT-Line, Michael Grainger, launched a scathing attack on the government after being removed from the position. He said state-owned ports operator TasPorts didn’t allow TT-Line access to conduct geotechnical work as part of the new berth build.

Is it just me or is this a bigger stuff up than the new Arran ferries delays?