Australian 'fiasco' ferry leaves Edinburgh after months docked in the capital
A huge Australian ferry has finally left Edinburgh after months in the capital.
On Thursday morning, June 19, the Spirit of Tasmania IV ship was pictured leaving Leith docks.
In December we reported how the ship was set to be berthed in the capital until 2026 after it was found to be too big for its intended ports Down Under.
Operator TT-Line said it had been engaging with a broker to lease the ferry, although an agreement could not be reached.
The Tasmanian government then ordered the operator to relocate the 212-metre vessel. It was originally moved to Scotland due to fears it could be damaged by pack ice.
The saga sparked a political row in Australia after a new berth to accommodate the shop, and its sister vessel Spirit of Tasmania V, may not be ready until late 2026 or 2027.
The new Spirit of Tasmania ships have a gross tonnage of 48,000 and have a capacity of 1,800 passengers. The vessel features 301 new cabins, 118 standard recliners and 47 business recliners.
Tasmania's infrastructure minister, Michael Ferguson, and the chairman of ferry operator TT-Line, which is state-owned, resigned due to the controversy in August.
TT-Line was paying A$47,534 (£24,031) per week to berth the ship at Forth Ports, according to figures published by the Tasmanian government.
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In March we reported there was a possibility of the ferry being used to house Ukrainian refugees in Scotland.
However the Scottish government quickly dismissed this saying: "This is not true and we have no plans to lease this or any other vessel for this purpose."
Tasmania's transport minister Eric Abetz said that the government had done all it could to secure a lease that would benefit Tasmanians.
He said: "We had an opportunity to secure an agreement worth tens of millions of dollars for the Tasmanian taxpayer, and it would have been economically irresponsible not to explore this.
"Previous similar leases provided more than €50m (£41.2m) to vessel owners, and it was prudent that we sought similar arrangements for Tasmanian taxpayers.
"The relentless negativity is hurting the state's economic opportunities, and it's time to move forward together."
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