Sustainably Reduce Spirit of Tasmania Fares Labor MP Brenton Best announced a Traditional Labor Values Plan to sustainably reduce Spirit of Tasmania Fares and bolster jobs in the local economy. Reducing Passenger Fares “We need to change the sailing route to make the service more efficient by operating the Spirit of Tasmania between Devonport and the Port of Hastings.” “This would reduce 3 hours plus from the trip saving up to $200,000 to $300,000 a week in fuel.” “We would also save on port fees as Hasting would not be as an expensive as Port Melbourne.” “All of these savings we can pass to reduce passenger fares especially for campervans and caravans.” “People visiting Tasmania in Campervans and caravans spend around regional areas of Tasmania and tend to stay longer, by reducing fares this will encourage more visitors.” The Port of Hastings has been operating for around 100 years it is around 72 Kilometres from Melbourne. It is a naturally deep and operating as a working commercial port serving international and domestic shipping. Current planning includes future upgrade of road and rail infrastructure with Department of transport and VicRoads. “I was surprised to be told by the Port of Hastings and the Victorian Transport Minister’s office that to the best of their knowledge they have received no contact from the TT Line about exploring this possibility.” In April last year the Victorian Government identified Port of Hastings as a key port requiring expansion by committing $110Mill to increase capacity and competition. “You would have to acknowledge the Victorian government has declared the Port of Hastings as the future port for Victoria’s shipping needs.” “So why isn’t the TT Line front and centre on this?” “Hastings is only 55 minutes from Melbourne, logistically campervans and trucks would not be forced to negotiate Melbourne CBD exiting the Spirit, it is much friendlier on parking and provides a more efficient better queuing system during vehicle boarding.” “The Liberal plan to strip TT Lines profit to reduce fares means we will never be able to afford replacement to replace vessels.” Bring Jobs to Tasmania Another feature of the Traditional Labor Values Plan to Sustainably Reduce Spirit of Tasmania Fares is to reign in TT Line management structures and base them in Tasmania. Mr Best said “A Traditional Labor Values Plan would see every bit of TT Lines operations that can be done in Tasmania done in Tasmania.” “Look it is a no brainer they are our ships not Victoria’s or Charles Gripplas’s, this CEO needs to be reigned in.” “There is a lot of maintenance work that can be done here in Tasmania, my Plan is to create more local jobs by an inventory to determine maintenance and ship services that can be relocated in Devonport from Melbourne. This will increase opportunities for skilled work.” “Next TT Line head office needs to be shifted to Devonport which would bring more jobs into the local economy and help to underpin Devonport’s City Living Plan.” “There are so many benefits for Tasmania, TT Line senior management and marketing executives should wine and dine their major customers locally in the Tasmanian tourism market.” “And not just some of the time but all of the time.” “Every dollar invested and spent here in our local restaurants, cafés, in our resorts, in our businesses and not in Victoria is a dollar for our home state.” “With TT Line outlining in their 2011/12 Annual Report Customer Acquisition spending of $7,908,000 there must be a fair bit of money allocated to wining and dining major clients.” Mr Best said “If Grange Resources can make a corporate decision to move its head office from Perth to Burnie, then surely a state owned company should place its head office here as well.” “In fact the very first recommendation of Auditor General’s report on TT-Line Governance (2005) was for the TT Line to consider locating the management team in Devonport.” The Auditor General found the internal management structure of TT-Line is segregated into operational divisions (silos) with all key executives reporting directly to the CEO. The physical segregation of the executive management team in two locations, being Devonport and Melbourne, reinforces the management silo structure.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 05:31:24 +0000
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