Devonport's Spirit Quay has officially opened ahead of the first sailings of the Spirit of Tasmania IV and V. The facility includes a 740-tonne gantry with four steel ramps linking the new ships to concrete loading ramps. Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the quay will support growth in passenger numbers and freight across Bass Strait. Minister Kerry Vincent said more than half the construction work was delivered by local partners. The ferries will make their maiden voyages on 31 October.
A coronial inquest into the deaths of six children at Hillcrest Primary School in northern Tasmania in 2021 is expected to hear evidence from a US dust devil expert. Counsel assisting the coroner, Maree Norton SC, told a Hobart case management hearing that she is looking to engage Dr Ralph Lorenz, a planetary scientist and aerospace engineer. Ms Norton said he would give his opinion on pressure drops and the interaction between the dust devil and the castle structure. The six children died when a wind gust lifted a jumping castle at an end-of-year celebration.
Tasmanian government-owned operator TT-Line has reported a $646.9 million write-down of assets in its 2025/26 financial statement. Its two older ferries, more than 20 years old, are now valued at $87.5 million, down from $174.3 million. Chair Ken Kanofski blamed Middle East unrest, interest rates and the old ships' fuel use. The two new ferries, due to start Bass Strait crossings on October 31, have also fallen in value, as have the Devonport and Geelong terminals. The company recorded a $1.55 million profit and expects growth from the new vessels and facilities.
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The operator of the Spirit of Tasmania ferries has reported a $723 million accounting loss for the year. Most of the loss comes from a $646.9 million write-down of its four ferries and two terminals. Chairman Ken Kanofski said the write-down is non-cash and does not affect the company's equity request or debt position. He said the outlook is very strong and that the company remains solvent. Spirit I and II are set to leave service, while the newer ships begin servicing Bass Strait at the end of the month.
A large sperm whale that washed ashore on Tasmania's north-west coast has died after rescue efforts at Turners Beach. Police and Parks and Wildlife staff managed the scene, and people were asked to stay away from the water because of the risk of sharks. A specialist wildlife veterinarian will examine the whale to try to determine the cause of death. Local resident Emma Eustace reported the whale on Tuesday evening after seeing it beach itself, and she was warned not to approach it because it may carry bird flu.
TT-Line says a sale process is underway for the older Spirit I and II ferries, which stop sailing from October 24. The company ruled out mooring them in Tasmania, saying there are no berths there, and did not say where they would go. Labor infrastructure spokesperson Anita Dow criticised the government for going quiet on the sale and called for regular updates. Transport minister Kerry Vincent said the government is confident a deal will be secured as soon as possible.
Four youths have been charged over an alleged assault on two people in Devonport. Police were called to a disturbance on Best Street on Monday, 12 October, where a group allegedly attacked a male youth and a woman in her mid-30s. Investigations, including CCTV analysis, led to charges against three males aged 16 and a 15-year-old male. Each faces two counts of common assault and has been bailed with conditions. The two people were assessed for injuries and did not need hospital treatment.
Police have charged four people over an alleged assault on a male youth near Devonport Bluff early on Monday morning. The accused are a 19-year-old Devonport man, a 17-year-old male, a 15-year-old male and a 15-year-old female. They face charges of criminal code assault and stealing, and have been bailed to appear in court later. Police are asking anyone with mobile phone, dash cam or CCTV footage from the Bluff Road car park area late Sunday night or early Monday to come forward. The injured youth was taken to North West Regional Hospital for treatment.
Three people were injured, two seriously, after a car crashed into the front of the Shearwater Food Company near Devonport in northern Tasmania on Sunday evening. Police say a 26-year-old woman remains in hospital with serious injuries, and a staff member is in hospital with serious but stable injuries. The driver, an elderly man, was treated at the scene and did not need hospital care. Police say early indications suggest the crash was not deliberate, though its cause remains under investigation.
Tasmania Police charged four drivers with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs over the weekend of 9 to 11 October 2026. A 64-year-old Forest woman returned a reading of 0.239 and will appear in Smithton Magistrates Court. A 38-year-old unlicensed Spreyton man, reported for erratic driving on the Bass Highway, returned 0.151 and was disqualified for two years. Three other disqualified or unlicensed drivers were also detected. A 17-year-old who evaded a breath test in Burnie was arrested and his vehicle seized for three months. Police urged drivers to rethink driving after drinking or taking drugs.
