26-461: TT-Line Company Pty Ltd , trading as Spirit of Tasmania , is a Tasmanian Government -owned business that has been offering ferry services between mainland Australia and Tasmania since July 1993. Navigating the Bass Strait , Spirit of Tasmania ferry services cover a distance of 242 nautical miles (448 km; 278 mi) between Geelong, Victoria and Devonport, Tasmania . Each journey across
52-402: A member of Parliament. Since reorganisation in 2022 the departmental structure is the following A range of other agencies support the functions of these departments. The Government of Tasmania also owns and operates a number of state-owned companies : As a state of Australia, Tasmania is represented in the federal House of Representatives and Senate . Tasmania has five representative in
78-487: A third ship, Spirit of Tasmania III , from Devonport to Sydney in early 2004. The last service from Sydney to Tasmania operated by Australian Trader had ceased in 1976. The new ship was also ex Superfast Ferries having been built as Superfast II in 1995. Superfast II was handed over to TT-Line 30 September and went to the Nerion yard for refitting after the works and renaming to Spirit of Tasmania III , she set off on
104-557: Is exercised by the premier of Tasmania upon the advice of the Cabinet, who are appointed by the governor, but who hold office by virtue of their ability to command the support of a majority of members of the House of Assembly. Judicial power is exercised by the Supreme Court of Tasmania and a system of subordinate courts. As with all states, upon federation , Tasmania accepted the authority of
130-588: Is invited by the governor of Tasmania to form the executive. The governor appoints the premier of Tasmania . Since 8 April 2022, the premier of Tasmania has been Jeremy Rockliff , leader of the Liberal Party . The current ministry of Tasmania is the Second Rockliff ministry . Tasmania is governed according to the principles of the Westminster system , a form of parliamentary responsible government based on
156-561: Is the City of Launceston and the smallest council is the Flinders Council (which serves Flinders Island and the surrounds, with just over 800 electors) Ventouris Ferries Ventouris Ferries is a Greek company that operates ferry services from Italy to Greece and Albania . Ventouris Ferries operates three routes across the Adriatic Sea . Ventouris Ferries currently operates
182-732: The Neorion shipyard on the island of Syros where they had been refitted. Superfast III was renamed Spirit of Tasmania II and departed on 6 July and Superfast IV renamed Spirit of Tasmania I and departed 7 July. They set off for Australia both arriving in Hobart 29 July where the final touches were put into place. After public inspections at Hobart, Melbourne and Devonport, the two new ships set sail on 1 September Spirit of Tasmania I from Devonport and Spirit of Tasmania II from Melbourne. Earlier that day Spirit of Tasmania arrived in Melbourne for
208-500: The " Sea Highway " takes approximately 9–11 hours in both directions. Currently, the TT-Line Company's fleet includes two Finnish -built vessels: MS Spirit of Tasmania I and MS Spirit of Tasmania II . These ships are expected to be replaced by MS Spirit of Tasmania IV and MS Spirit of Tasmania V in 2024 and 2025 respectively. Between 2003 and 2006, Spirit of Tasmania operated a service between Sydney and Devonport using
234-589: The 1999/00 summer season, TT-Line again charted a fast craft while the former Devil Cat Incat 046 was used on the Georgetown-Melbourne route during this peak period for three successive years. In 2002, the Tasmanian Government and TT-Line announced that they would be replacing Devil Cat and Spirit of Tasmania with two Finnish built monohull ferries Superfast III and Superfast IV later that year from Superfast Ferries . Both were handed over at
260-630: The 23 October 2022, TT-Line moved its Victorian terminal from Station Pier to a new facility at Spirit of Tasmania Quay, Geelong . Tasmanian Government The Tasmanian Government or the Government of Tasmania is the executive branch of the Australian state of Tasmania . The leader of the party or coalition with the confidence of the House of Assembly , the lower house of the Parliament of Tasmania ,
286-564: The Tasmanian government announced that the Sydney to Devonport service would cease on 28 August and the ship sold. It was announced 11 July 2006 that Spirit of Tasmania III had been sold to Corsica Ferries ; she has now been renamed Mega Express Four . In December 2017, TT-Line announced it planned to replace the existing ferries with new builds. The new vessels were to have a passenger capacity increase of 43% and freight capacity increase of 39% over
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#1732868720443312-739: The ageing Abel Tasman with another ex TT-Line ferry. The new ship, Peter Pan (3) , had replaced the former Nils Holgersson (3) (now Abel Tasman ) on the Travemünde to Trelleborg route in Germany in 1986. The ship, which was delivered to Lloyd Werft shipyard in September 1993 and was renamed Spirit of Tasmania , cost the Government $ 150 million. The ferry left Germany on 5 October and arrived in Devonport 12 November. On 1 November 1993, operation of
338-453: The evening of 10 October. She arrived in Hobart on 30 October berthing No. 6 Macquarie wharf for more fitting-out to be done. Spirit of Tasmania III set out for a voyage from Hobart to Devonport with 500 people aboard. She stayed in Devonport for a day and then moved on to Melbourne then to Sydney. Spirit of Tasmania III debuted on the Sydney to Devonport run on 13 January 2004. On 5 June 2006,
364-502: The existing ferries. In January 2018, it was announced that the German Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) would build the two new vessels, with the first expected to enter service in 2021. In February 2020, it was announced that the contract with FSG had been mutually cancelled. A new contract for construction of the new ships has been signed with Rauma Marine Constructions of Finland. In July 2020, it
390-432: The federal High Court of Australia to overrule the state judiciary. The Second Rockliff ministry was sworn in on 11 April 2024. The table of ministers can be found below. The Tasmanian Government delivers services, determines policy, and issues regulations through a number of agencies grouped under areas of portfolio responsibility. Each portfolio is led by a Secretary, who reports to one or more government ministers ,
416-792: The federal House of Representatives for the electoral divisions of Bass , Braddon , Denison , Franklin , and Lyons . Tasmania also has twelve Senators in line with other states. 29 local government elections are conducted under the Local Government Act using the Hare-Clark voting system of multi-member proportional representation. Elections for mayor, deputy mayor and half the councillor positions are held during September and October in each uneven numbered year. These include six cities (three in greater Hobart , one covering each of Launceston , Burnie , and Devonport ) and twenty-three municipalities. The largest council (by number of eligible voters)
442-530: The former MS Spirit of Tasmania III . In addition to passenger services, Spirit of Tasmania provides sea freight and roll on/roll off (RORO) transport for vehicles, making it a crucial link between Tasmania and the mainland. Since 1996, fares have been subsidised through the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme , which aims to make ferry travel more affordable for passengers and promote economic activity between
468-420: The last time, having crossed Bass Strait 2,849 times and carried a total of 2.3 million passengers, 807,000 cars and 185,000 containers. Spirit of Tasmania departed Melbourne just before midnight on 5 September headed for Sydney where she arrived on 7 September. In late December it was announced that the ship had been sold to Fjord Line . In March 2003, it was announced that TT-Line would begin operating
494-636: The model of the United Kingdom . Legislative power rests with the bicameral Parliament of Tasmania , which consists of the governor of Tasmania , and the two chambers: the Legislative Council and the House of Assembly . Executive power rests formally with the Executive Council , which consists of the governor and senior ministers, and informally called the Cabinet . In practice, executive power
520-621: The new Incat 050 Devil Cat (also marketed under the name Devil Cat ). In September 1999, Spirit of Tasmania was forced out of action for two weeks due to fuel contamination, and TT-Line chartered the Incat 030 HSC Condor 10 which at the time was laid up in New Zealand as Lynx . Once TT-Line arranged for the charter she immediately departed New Zealand and arrived in Tasmania two days later, and entered service to cover for Spirit of Tasmania . Over
546-489: The regions. The company, wholly owned by the Government of Tasmania , was initially a part of the Tasmanian Government's Department of Transport . It became a government business enterprise in 1993, adopting the name Spirit of Tasmania in August of that year. Since then, Spirit of Tasmania has become an iconic service, known for its reliability and vital role in connecting Tasmania with the rest of Australia. TT-Line (Tasmania)
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#1732868720443572-553: The service was transferred from the Tasmanian Department of Transport to TT-Line Pty Ltd, a government business enterprise wholly owned by the Tasmanian Government. Spirit of Tasmania made her first commercial crossing of Bass Strait on the night of 29 November 1993 and on that morning Abel Tasman was laid-up and offered for sale, which was completed in April 1994, to Ventouris Ferries as Pollux . While Spirit of Tasmania
598-544: Was announced that the proposed contract with Rauma Marine Constructions would not proceed, due to uncertainty arising from the COVID-19 pandemic . In 2021, the Tasmanian government announced negotiations had resumed with Rauma Marine, with the contract being signed in April 2021. It is expected these new vessels, Spirit of Tasmania IV and Spirit of Tasmania V will arrive in Australia in late 2024 and early 2025 respectively. On
624-515: Was dry-docked in 1997, the TT-Line chartered a large multi-hull ferry, Incat 045 (now Condor Rapide ), from Incat , dubbing her Tascat . She was used for two weeks as an experiment. In the peak season of 1997/98. TT-Line chartered Incat 046 to operate as Devil Cat from the old SeaCat Tasmania terminal in George Town to Station Pier . TT-Line repeated this over the 1998/99 peak season with
650-587: Was formed in 1985 following the announcement that the Australian National Line (ANL) would no longer operate a service across Bass Strait with Empress of Australia . After the cessation of ANL operations to Tasmania, the Tasmanian Government's Department of Transport began a replacement ferry service, purchasing the West German ferry Nils Holgersson (3) for $ 26 million. That amount
676-490: Was offset by a payment from the Australian federal government in compensation for placing the environmentally-sensitive Gordon River off-limits to Hydro Tasmania power generation schemes. The Nils Holgersson (3) was renamed Abel Tasman on 21 April 1985, and set sail for Australia, she arrived in Devonport on 20 June and began operating on 1 July 1985 from Melbourne 's Station Pier . In 1993, TT-Line Tasmania replaced
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