Australian 'fiasco' ferry leaves Edinburgh after months docked in the capital
A huge Australian ferry has finally left Edinburgh after months in the capital.
On Thursday morning, June 19, the Spirit of Tasmania IV ship was pictured leaving Leith docks.
In December we reported how the ship was set to be berthed in the capital until 2026 after it was found to be too big for its intended ports Down Under.
Operator TT-Line said it had been engaging with a broker to lease the ferry, although an agreement could not be reached.
The Tasmanian government then ordered the operator to relocate the 212-metre vessel. It was originally moved to Scotland due to fears it could be damaged by pack ice.
The saga sparked a political row in Australia after a new berth to accommodate the shop, and its sister vessel Spirit of Tasmania V, may not be ready until late 2026 or 2027.
The new Spirit of Tasmania ships have a gross tonnage of 48,000 and have a capacity of 1,800 passengers. The vessel features 301 new cabins, 118 standard recliners and 47 business recliners.
Tasmania's infrastructure minister, Michael Ferguson, and the chairman of ferry operator TT-Line, which is state-owned, resigned due to the controversy in August.
TT-Line was paying A$47,534 (£24,031) per week to berth the ship at Forth Ports, according to figures published by the Tasmanian government.
Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
In March we reported there was a possibility of the ferry being used to house Ukrainian refugees in Scotland.
However the Scottish government quickly dismissed this saying: "This is not true and we have no plans to lease this or any other vessel for this purpose."
Tasmania's transport minister Eric Abetz said that the government had done all it could to secure a lease that would benefit Tasmanians.
He said: "We had an opportunity to secure an agreement worth tens of millions of dollars for the Tasmanian taxpayer, and it would have been economically irresponsible not to explore this.
"Previous similar leases provided more than €50m (£41.2m) to vessel owners, and it was prudent that we sought similar arrangements for Tasmanian taxpayers.
"The relentless negativity is hurting the state's economic opportunities, and it's time to move forward together."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
15 hours ago
- The Independent
Google to pay $36M fine for anticompetitive deals with Australia's largest telcos
Google has agreed to pay a 55 million Australian dollar ($36 million) fine for signing anticompetitive deals with Australia's two largest telcos that banned the installation of competing search engines on some smartphones, the U.S. tech giant and Australia's competition watchdog said. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said in a statement it had commenced proceedings in the Australian Federal Court on Monday against the Singapore-based Google Asia Pacific division. The court will decide whether the AU$50 million ($36 million) penalty is appropriate. Under the anticompetitive agreements, which were in place for 15 months until March 2021, Telstra and Optus only pre-installed Google Search on Android phones sold to customers. Other search engines were excluded. In return, the telcos received a share of the advertisement revenue Google generated from those customers. Google accepted that the agreements were likely to have the effect of 'substantially lessening competition,' the commission said. Google has also signed a court-enforceable undertaking that commits the company to removing certain pre-installation and default search engine restrictions from its contracts with Android phone manufacturers and telcos, the commission said. The tech company said in a statement: 'We're pleased to resolve the ACCC's concerns, which involved provisions that haven't been in our commercial agreements for some time.' Commissioner chair Gina-Cass Gottlieb said: "Conduct that restricts competition is illegal in Australia because it usually means less choice, higher costs or worse service for consumers.' 'Importantly, these changes come at a time when AI search tools are revolutionising how we search for information, creating new competition,' Cass-Gottlieb added. Last year, Telstra, Optus and their smaller rival TPG agreed to court-enforceable undertakings with the commission that they would not renew or make similar deals with Google to limit search options.
The Guardian
15 hours ago
- The Guardian
‘It felt magical': monarch butterfly swarm delights visitors and locals in Western Australia town
Lounging on the tulips, roosting in the eucalyptus, humming around the bottlebrush – a butterfly swarm has invaded a rural Australian town to the delight of locals and tourists alike. Thousands of monarch butterflies have taken over Nannup, in south-west Western Australia, although experts warn their high numbers are evidence of the advance of invasive weeds. Horticulturalist Chris Barlow said the butterflies, which have a life cycle of about six weeks once hatched, feed as larvae on one of two weeds, varieties of cotton bush and milkweed, which are prevalent in surrounding pine plantations. 'The reason why it was so good this year is because they had a very good food source,' he said. Barlow said the species is one of few that can eat the plants, adding that the monarch's distinctive, bright orange colouring is a warning of their potential toxicity. 'There's only a couple of species of birds that can actually eat the butterflies.' Sign up: AU Breaking News email But the adult butterflies are also interested in other plant species. Maggie Longmore, who runs Nannup's annual flower and garden festival in August, said they were particularly drawn to the tulips, as well as native bottlebrush and eucalyptus plants. 'It has been an added attraction for the festival,' she said. 'It's gone a bit viral on social media … People have been coming to see the butterflies and the tulips. 'I've lived in Nannup for 25 years. We see a few butterflies around, but this year they're in the thousands.' The window has also been particularly long this year – more than two months, Longmore estimates. Burana Skelton, from Mandurah to the north, was driving through Nannup with her family during the July school holidays when they started to notice the insects. 'We were, like, counting the butterflies as we were driving down the main street, going: 'Oh, there's one, two.' And we got up to 20,' she said. 'As we got further down towards the little local park area … it was literally covered in [them]. 'My husband and the kids got out the car … We had all our windows down and even those dogs were looking at it.' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Monarch butterflies are native to North America and are believed to have been blown across to Australia via the Pacific islands during cyclonic weather in the early 1870s. Barlow says the species only took hold in the last 30 years when the invasive weeds also gained a footing, describing the situation as 'a delicate balance', but still 'a beautiful sight'. 'What we recommend is people to control the milkweed and the cotton bush inside of bushland areas, and in and around roadsides, so it doesn't spread.' Skelton said the phenomenon's complicated backstory did not detract from its beauty. 'It's hard to put into words,' she said. 'It felt magical.'
Time Out
15 hours ago
- Time Out
This luxe wilderness retreat with an infinity pool and Aussie animals lives up to Steve Irwin's legacy
If you asked me to name the most iconic Australian of all time, I'd have to go with the late Steven Irwin. It's a big call, but the 'Crocodile Hunter' perfectly captured our Aussie spirit with his fearless love of wildlife, heart of gold and unmistakable ocker accent. Irwin's crikey energy and passion for conservation live on today through his family at Australia Zoo – where a brand-new retreat pays fitting tribute to the wildlife warrior himself. Tourists and animal lovers flock from all around the world to Queensland's Sunshine Coast just to visit Australia Zoo – the country's most famous wildlife park, which Steve proudly took over from his parents in 1992. Spanning more than 700 acres, the zoo is home to thousands of precious native and international animals. Today, Steve's legacy continues through the Irwin family – Terri, Bindi and Robert – and their passionate team, who carry forward his mission with a focus on conservation, rehabilitation and education. Steve always dreamed of giving visitors the chance to stay overnight in luxury accommodation near the zoo – and in 2022, his vision was brought to life with the opening of The Crocodile Hunter Lodge. Tucked in native bushland just 500 metres from Australia Zoo, this luxe wilderness retreat isn't just a haven for humans, but a vital sanctuary for both beloved Aussie animals and critically endangered plant species. Given how many international awards it's won since opening, I had high expectations for The Crocodile Hunter Lodge – and after a quick one-night stay, I can confirm it exceeded every one of them. An icon in its own right, Steve's conservation legacy comes alive in the surrounding native bushland, where Aussie species like kangaroos, koalas, emus and echidnas roam freely. In November 2024, the Irwin family unveiled four new double-storey Crocodile Cabins, adding to their existing collection of one- to three-bedroom lodges. True to their name, these secluded cabins overlook a natural lagoon that's home to ten freshwater crocodiles and endangered Mary River turtles. Soaking in the views from my private heated plunge pool on the downstairs deck was pretty surreal, and falling asleep to the trickle of the four-metre waterfall from the master bedroom upstairs was pure bliss. With almost as many awards, Warrior Restaurant and Bar serves up seriously stellar tucker with a native twist. The menu isn't strictly Australian though, with mains like slow-braised beef rendang paying homage to Steve's favourite home-cooked meals. Other dishes feature ingredients grown onsite, including chillies harvested in Australia Zoo's Elephantasia, honey sourced from backyard bee hives and bush tucker grown in the gardens. The absolute highlight of my stay was going for a morning swim in the Lodge's 25-metre heated infinity pool, which overlooks the lush bushland. From the edge, I admired a mob of kangaroos nibbling on native grass and laughed as an emu did laps on land beside me. Staying at The Crocodile Hunter Lodge is a splurge, but worth every cent – all guests score unlimited entry to Australia Zoo with complimentary transport, a sneak peek inside the Wildlife Hospital, daily breakfast and a welcome gift. Trust us, this is the wild side of luxury at its very best.
