Federal Officials Reject Tasmanian Road-Tanker Plan for Icebreaker Refuelling

Federal environment department officials told a Senate estimates hearing that Tasmania's proposed interim solution for refuelling Australia's Antarctic icebreaker is unacceptable. The RSV Nuyina is based at Hobart's Macquarie Wharf but cannot pass under the Tasman Bridge to reach the city's marine fuel depot due to safety limits.

Since 2023 the vessel has instead sailed 674 kilometres to Burnie for refuelling, adding roughly $875,000 to annual fuel costs in earlier years.

Tasmania offered to use road tankers as a temporary fix. Federal environment department deputy secretary Sean Sullivan told the hearing the plan was not workable. "Tasmania gave us an interim solution and we are still pursuing a longer term solution that will allow us to refuel the Nuyina in Hobart," he said.

A 2023 state-commissioned report estimated that 64 road tankers would be required and the process would take more than five days. Australian Antarctic Division head Emma Campbell said road tankers had been used for smaller top-ups but that a full refuel at Burnie remained faster.

Under a $188 million Commonwealth agreement to upgrade Macquarie Wharf, Tasmania is due a $2 million milestone payment if an acceptable refuelling solution is approved by July 31. Campbell said Tasmania had notified the federal government it would not meet that date.

Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt stated the road-tanker proposal did not satisfy the commitment made when the funding deal was signed. Sullivan added that Tasmania had not yet delivered a solution the federal government considers sensible or usable.

Campbell said the Australian Antarctic Division plans to continue refuelling the vessel at Burnie in 2026. This year's costs fell to $600,000 because the ship made only three trips instead of four.