I have recently returned from Ballaarat, (the correct Aboriginal spelling), visiting the wonderful exhibition ‘Capturing Flora, 300 years of Australian Botanical Art,’a remarkable example of what can be achieved by a small community. The catalogue is magnificent.
While in that City I had reason to purchase a selection of books that would have made me overweight on the plane.
I visited the local Post Office and posted them in two Large Parcels, Regular, over 17 kgs and less than 20 kgs the maximum allowed.The cost to Tasmania $45.15 the same parcel to Sydney cost $34.35. I asked why the difference, no one could supply me with an answer.
I recently repurchased a set of Country Life from inception before 1900 to 1985 bound in over 200 volumes. To ship from Perth in WA to Melbourne by train 1700 dollars, then by sea from Melbourne to Burnie 2850 dollars total 4550 dollars.
Solution:
Send the complete set of Country Life to London by sea, cost 600 dollars. A 20 ft Container from Southend to Burnie with the balance of my UK purchases 3100 dollars total 3700 dollars.
The gods do not favour our Tasmania. The shipping and transport monopolies within Australia from Australia Post to Toll have got us in a no win situation. Our Labor/Green Pollies cannot see the wood from the trees and the Libs cannot see.
What to do.
Those shining beacons of Independence in the Upper House of the Tasmanian Parliament?
Maybe those not on the Ta Ann drip may have an answer or are they all in the thrall of the smoke from vested interest.
If we could get a Hong Kong or Singapore weekly sailing into Bell Bay, with the help rather than the hindrance of the GBE controlling Tasmanian Ports we could load direct, use these country’s as hubs, then return ship to Australia all I suggest for less money.
The current ball game is a no win for Tasmania.
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Comments (7)
Go for it #1 Show all those “brain dead” politicians and bureaucrats in Tasmania and Canberra just what a Chudleigh plan can achieve.
How fortunate you missed out on a Leg.Council seat because now you are free to pursue a true course for Tasmania without the irritation of mindless constituents wanting a road fixed here or a new school there.
#1
TGC.
Thankyou for your good wishes and kind thoughts.
Nothing will change as long as this island is controlled by Aus and not Tasmania. It’s the same with every aspect of life in this state, all controlled by the whims of those who live in Australia and have no thought for Tas at all. Maybe that’s why we get left out of everything which is classed as national and it’s not uncommon for this state to be left out as a part of Aus in discussing most thing of a national nature.
A shipping solution is simple, get INCAT to build a couple of 120m dedicated fast freight roll on roll off container and passenger ferries. Run one between Tas and Singapore, stopping at major ports on the way. The other between Melbourne or Welshpool and George town, it can do the trip in less than 3 hours and at Welshpool, you are only a couple of hours out of Melb with rail available and halfway to east coast markets with no traffic.
It would deliver freight fast compared to current shipping methods and could also include walk on and a small number of drive on passengers, then we could use the current ferries for passenger traffic to Aus, slow them down and give people a real sea voyage experience like it used to be years ago.
It’s the same with air freight. This state should have it’s own roll on roll off air freighter, then we would have a reliable air freight service to Aus. It could do a round trip every couple of days to east coast capital cities ensuring fresh Tas produce and goods would be available. It could also double as a fire water bomber if needed.
If you want to become the provider of fresh top quality produce to Aus, you need to have delivery methods not controlled by others outside Tas and who really don’t give a damn about us.
I tried so hard to give TGC the benefit of the doubt over these last few months but I have given up. If I could offer some advice to TGC I would say The more we love others the more we are able to love ourselves.
Don’t get excited, John.
In 1989, Lynn and I discovered that our ferry bookings to Tas, done through an ex- Tourism Tas employee, were worthless , because the bookings were never made and the money had disappeared.
They honoured our tickets,somehow, but told us they would not be pursuing their rogue ex-employee.
Some things never change.;
John Hayward
#4 Never give up!
Actual diference in Country Life example $3950 although one could understand some handling costs eating in to that. Incredible.
questions are do we have enough freight and if so why isn’t some Singapore based business hungry enough. Cartel comes to mind,
Based on expereince #4’s idea would fail because if, as he suggested, it was run by Tasmania. Much better to pay another party on contract. Clifford built and ran a ferry service once but it failed.