Spirit work goes local

Ferry contract for Tassie firm

THE first Tasmanian-based contractor has won a contract to supply content for the new Spirit of Tasmania vessels.

Crisp Bros & Haywards will provide about 300 steel lashing points of different types to be welded to the vehicle decks of the new vessels to form part of a system that locks freight trailers down for the Bass Strait crossing.

The individual steel components are about 50cm by 50cm in size and will be fabricated from about 40 tonnes of material.

Crisp Bros & Haywards managing director Steve Edmunds said the components would be delivered to Finland in stages, with the first shipment in about four to five weeks.

“We expect the project will take us a total of four months to complete,” he said.

Mr Edmunds said the company, which employed 280 people across the state, was pleased to win the contract and undertake the work in Tasmania.

“We believe the Spirit of Tasmania and the Tasmanian government have done an excellent job to identify the work that may suit Tasmanian businesses and then engage with them to ensure it is commercially viable and technically possible,” he said.

Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions started construction of Spirit of Tasmania IV on February 28.

While the new ships will be a similar design to the current Spirit of Tasmania vessels, they will feature substantially larger capacity for passengers, passenger vehicles and freight.

Spirit of Tasmania managing director and chief executive Bernard Dwyer said the announcement of the contract with Crisp Bros & Haywards was the first of many contracts that would be awarded to Tasmanian firms.

“We are very supportive of any Tasmanian business providing Tasmanian content for our new vessels,” he said.

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Michael Ferguson said the government was delivering for the growing needs of the state.

“We made a bold decision to secure up to $100m of local content for the new ships in an effort to boost Tasmanian advanced manufacturing and our economy, supporting local jobs,’’ Mr Ferguson said.