TasPorts' Bass Island Line is providing an additional sailing to King Island, ensuring vital cattle transport during challenging dry conditions, thanks to government support.
Posted
06 December 2024
TasPorts has reinforced its commitment to supporting regional communities by enabling an additional Bass Island Line (BIL) sailing to King Island this Friday. This initiative is in response to heightened demand for cattle transport as local farmers manage the challenges of ongoing dry seasonal conditions.
TasPorts CEO Anthony Donald highlighted the significance of this government-supported sailing, made possible through the Tasmanian Government’s drought assistance funding.
“Bass Island Line exists to connect and support regional communities, and this additional sailing is a tangible demonstration of our commitment to the community and our customers,” Mr Donald said.
“By bringing forward this service to arrive in Grassy on Friday, we’re ensuring farmers have the vital logistics and support they need to manage their operations in the face of drought conditions."
This important service has been coordinated in partnership with the Department of State Growth and processor JBS, who worked closely with BIL to consolidate bookings and ensure sufficient freight volumes for the sailing. Mr Donald acknowledged the collaborative effort that made the voyage possible.
“Bass Island Line worked with its customer JBS to understand and put forward a case to the Tasmanian Government that has ultimately enabled the movement of cattle off Island that would not have been viable without the Tasmanian Government’s support,” Mr Donald said.
“I want to acknowledge the Tasmanian Government’s support for this service and thank our customer JBS, who assisted in responding to the needs of the King Island community.”
Since mid-October, BIL has seen heightened demand for its regular services, with increased cattle movements pushing its capacity to the limit. This additional voyage will exclusively carry cattle trailers to provide essential relief for farmers.
For TasPorts, this initiative underscores its mission to support Tasmania’s regional communities by ensuring reliable and responsive logistics solutions when they are needed most.