Marine Transport Industry

The Scottish government denies it is planning to use a new Spirit of Tasmania ferry to house Ukrainian refugees. It comes after speculation it was in "advanced negotiations" to do so.

The Tasmanian premier has refused to rule out the state's newly built Spirit of Tasmania ferry being used to house Ukrainian refugees in Scotland.

Over the centuries ferries have evolved from using paddles to steam engines, to burning diesel and gas. Can the humble ferry go all electric?

Time is running out for a salvage attempt to recover a 67-year-old historic wooden boat that foundered last week before, as one expert says, the ocean floor starts to "claim" the wreck.

Negotiations to lease the newly built Spirit of Tasmania IV ferry have begun, as the state government announces the ship will stay on in Scotland for another month.  

Advice will be received by the end of the month on whether the completed Spirit IV ferry will be leased in Europe or if it will travel down to Tasmania to wait years for its port to be built.

Livestock shipping company Wellard strikes a deal to sell its only remaining income-producing asset and considers delisting from the stock exchange.

Community leaders in Wyndham say the Albanese government's pledge to widen trade at the Kimberley town's port and boost infrastructure is well overdue.

Finnish-built engines have joined the list of "local content" mandated in the fit-out of Tasmania's two new Spirit ferries.

The International Transport Workers' Federation says it recovered $30.7 million in stolen wages for the "world's invisible workforce" last year.

WA Labor says it will press ahead with plans to expand Swan River ferry services, extending connections to UWA and Applecross, despite concerns from sailing clubs about increased river traffic.

Vladimir Putin has a collection of hundreds of rusting tankers covertly carrying Russian crude oil around the world, according to the European Union.

The Spirit of Tasmania IV has entered a second month mothballed in Scotland while efforts to rent the ship out continue — with Tasmania's government saying the weekly $23,915 bill, plus costs, is cheaper than last month's storage fee.

The fit-outs for the new Spirit ferries were initially pledged to include up to $100 million in "Tasmanian local content", but the state government says that now includes Australia-wide businesses and big multinationals.

A Netherlands ship has been temporarily banned from entering Australian ports because it failed to safely store the chemical which caused the Beirut Port explosion.  

Tasmania's government has paid for double-page ads across three newspapers to address "frequently asked questions" about why the Spirit of Tasmania ferries are still a long way off operating — with Labor saying the ads are a "blatant waste" of money.

As a new Spirit of Tasmania vessel sits in storage in Scotland, its operator is "urgently" trying to find someone to lease it to in Europe. Interest from New Zealand has been ruled out, while a new Sydney service has been considered.

It'll cost at least $47,534 a week, plus costs, for the Spirit of Tasmania IV to berth in Scotland under a 30-day deal struck by the Tasmanian government.

The Spirit of Tasmania IV ferry is making its way across the North Sea to its temporary home in Scotland, but taxpayers are yet to learn how much it will cost to remain there.

With only nine Australian-crewed ships still operating, the proposed National Strategic Fleet could be the key to securing supply chains in times of crisis.