Question & Answer – Devonport Berth Construction – Cranes

November 12, 2025

Ms WEBB question to MINISTER for INFRASTRUCTURE and TRANSPORT, Mr VINCENT

Wednesday, 12 November 2025

My question is to follow up on one the minister for Infrastructure agreed to take on notice earlier this week. My question is regarding the urgent construction works to finalise the Devonport berths for the new Spirit of Tasmania ferries. Can you confirm major industrial construction crane operators were requested as a matter of urgency to relocate those cranes from other sites around the state to Devonport to boost the progress of the ferry berth construction? If so, how many industrial cranes were requested to relocate for this purpose?

Are you aware of other infrastructure developments in other parts of the state impacted by the lack of ready access to crane operators due to prioritisation of berth works?

Further, if crane operators were requested to relocate, can you confirm who is bearing
the costs: the government or the GBE involved? If the government is paying, at what cost?

ANSWER

Mr President, due to the detail required in that, I have sought a fair bit of extra information, but it is probably easier to answer as a whole instead of individually.

Firstly, I have no knowledge of any reprioritisation of cranes for the Terminal 3 site in Devonport, nor do TT-Line. As I’m aware, there are currently five large cranes on site at Terminal 3. Four of these large cranes are owned and operated by BMD, the lead contractor for the project. One additional large crane was recently locally sourced to fill and place rock bags, those are the quite large, couple-of-tonne rock bags they are stabilising the foreshore with to stop erosion. TT-Line has not sourced any cranes directly.

There may also be relatively small cranes on the site at various times at Terminal 3. From time to time, the subcontractors locally source these smaller cranes to BMD. The small cranes are not of a type that would be considered pivotal to a major infrastructure project. I have also consulted with the Department of State Growth, TT-Line and TasPorts, and I am not aware of any other infrastructure projects which have been impacted by the use of cranes on the Terminal 3 project.

I will add that it is exciting to hear the excitement around Devonport. There’s nothing better than seeing cranes swinging around. Even Tim the Toolman loved it; it is good to see work happening with all the cranes on site. Thank you.