Arabic version: غموض يحيط بتخزين عبّارات سبيريت مع اقتراب رحلاتها الأخيرة

According to ABC News, the future of Spirit of Tasmania I and II remains unclear with just over a week until their final voyage between Devonport and Geelong. TT-Line, the state-owned operator, says a sale process is under way for the vessels, which were launched nearly 25 years ago, but has not disclosed where they would be moored or the cost if they are not sold before replacement ships enter service.

TT-Line chief executive Chris Carbone said Spirit I and II would stop sailing from October 24 and that there had been interest in the ships. He ruled out storing them in Tasmania, saying there were no berths available in the state. The ferries are due to be replaced by Spirit IV and V by the end of the month.

Labor infrastructure spokesperson Anita Dow questioned whether a sale was advancing, saying the government had been quiet on whether buyer interest had resulted in a successful follow-through. She called for regular public updates, citing the amount of public money involved. Ms Dow said every month the vessels were stored would create a cost for TT-Line that could affect the eventual sale price.

During a public accounts committee earlier this year, TT-Line said mooring the new ships cost between $600,000 a month in Scotland and $900,000 a month in Geelong, without providing the total cost incurred. The inquiry also heard the total cost of the new ferries was more than $700 million above forecast, excluding the cost of berthing them in Scotland and Victoria while a new deeper-water berth was built in Devonport.

Government minister Jo Palmer declined to say where the outgoing ferries would be docked, describing the matter as hypothetical while negotiations continued. Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kerry Vincent said the Tasmanian government was confident TT-Line would secure a sale as soon as possible, adding that brokers were working on the process and negotiations were progressing well.