To Whom it may Concern,
The current and ongoing freight problems in Tasmania are strangling producers and export orientated business that the State relies upon. The recent increases in freight cost through Melbourne are making Tasmania’s produce uncompetitive throughout the country and the world.
I was wondering if the Government has seriously looked at buying/leasing a vessel to ship our products to the rest of the country and to the world?
The thought I had was that if we bought/leased a vessel, either soley or with collaboration with another State body; If alone we could run it to Singapore with our product and backload either to our State or drop off in Australian ports the returning imports.
If in collaboration with, say the WA, NSW or SA government, the same thing applies, pick up their produce on the way and drop off on return. Obviously if we have a collaborative agreement, the costs of the vessel are alleviated and, to me it would be a win-win result.
The Victorian Governments port costs are Excessive and Outrageous; and are they legal, or in breach of some anti competive Federal legislation, it seems that it’s a “pay up , or piss off and die”, type of scenario!
Tasmania rightly extols the virtues of our products and produce, but the promotion is nearly pointless if we cannot get it to the markets we have actively canvassed. Trade missions are virtually useless if we present our case and then engender massive interest, only to find that we can’t supply, and then our reputation as clean, green and quality is shot in the gluteus maximus.
The Australian Maritime College could gain valuable teaching opportunities, we could gain valuable contacts within the maritime industry as our ferries must soon be due for replacement.
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Employment and downstream opportunities, a sense of having our destiny in our own hands, not at the whims of an Interstate Government.
Remedy this before this State bleeds to death …
So the question is: Is it realistic to run our own ship … as the current, ransom-like situation, is going to lead to the demise of a multitude of small and large industries and ventures within our State.
Having a cursory flit round the internet, finding vessels is not a huge problem, and someone more competent could glean more on the subject.
This export fiasco has been going on since 2011, and to blame either party is of no use at all; I have no political or industry bias one way or the other,
All I see is a problem that affects a substantial sector in our State. And I offer up this idea …
Useful links …
http://www.maritimesales.com/Ships%20for%20Sale.htm
https://www.google.com/search?q=ship+brokers&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#q=freighters+foe+sale
