Taxpayers will fork out more than $47,000 per week to keep a new Bass Strait ferry in Scotland after an infrastructure stuff-up dubbed the biggest in Australia's history.
The two new $900 million Spirit of Tasmania ships will need to be leased or stored likely until 2027 because they'll be ready for operation before a required port in the island state is built.
Tasmania’s government in October scuttled plans to build a temporary berth for the vessels because it was deemed too costly and unsafe.
The first of the two ferries has arrived in Scotland after being forced to leave Finland, where it was constructed, over concerns it could be damaged by sea ice.
The ship will be housed indefinitely in the town of Leith while its Tasmania-government-owned operator TT-Line investigates leasing options.
Transport Minister Eric Abetz on Wednesday said a berth had been secured for a minimum of 30 days at an average weekly cost of $47,534 plus "ancillary services".
"It is prudent to relocate the ship to Leith whilst leasing options are explored," Mr Abetz said.
"To have it relocated to Tasmania whilst these options are explored would be far more expensive and waste a significant amount of taxpayer money."
The saga has resulted in Tasmania's deputy premier dropping his portfolios and moving to the backbench and sparked a war of words between TT-Line and port operator TasPorts.
The state's Labor opposition has labelled the scenario the biggest infrastructure stuff-up in Australian history.
"However you cut it up, $47,534 per week to hide Spirit IV on the other side of the world when it should be sailing ... by now is a terrible deal for Tasmania," Labor MP Josh Willie said.
"Without knowing the value of the 'ancillary services' the Liberals haven’t disclosed, or how long they plan to hide the ship in Scotland, it’s very hard to take them at their word.
"It’s time to bring the Spirits home to Tasmania, finish the fit out and make sure they are ready to go as soon as the berth is."
The second ship is due to arrive in the second half of 2025.
The government has said the new berth in Devonport may not be ready until February 2027 but there was a chance it could be completed by October 2026.
