Tasmanian independent Senator Tammy Tyrell has successfully moved a motion in the Senate to establish a Senate Select Committee inquiry into the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme.
The former Ulverstone and now Launceston-based senator wants the inquiry to look into the merits and weaknesses of the current scheme and to determine if it’s fit for purpose.
The committee will also determine if the scheme has kept up with increasing costs over the past decade and examine shipping costs, competition, shipping industry competitive structures across Bass Strait, including alternative freight options.
Various lobby groups have been working on the Federal Government to expand the scheme to cover private passenger vehicles on the Spirits of Tasmania for a number of years without success.
