Australian icebreaker Nuyina’s 4km trip to refuel in Hobart turns into a 660km trip to Burnie costing taxpayers almost a million dollars

Australia’s Antarctic Division will spend a further $875,000 on refueling the country’s icebreaker after the ship was denied access to facilities in Hobart, just four kilometers from where it docks.

The $528 million ship, called Nuyina, was denied permission to pass under Hobart’s Tasman Bridge to refuel at Selfs Point in August due to safety concerns, despite two years of lobbying.

Since then it has had to refuel in Burnie in north-west Tasmania, more than 600 km away.

“The estimated cost of refueling the Nuyina at Burnie, rather than at Selfs Point, is an additional $875,000 for the 2023/24 Antarctic season,” an Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) spokesperson said on Wednesday.

The AAD expects the Nuyina to refuel twice in Burnie in the 2023/24 season.

The ship’s operations, critical to Antarctic research and outpost supply, have been hampered by mechanical problems and maintenance delays since arriving in Hobart in 2021.

In February 2022, TasPorts announced that, subject to further testing, it had approved Nuyina to pass under the Tasman Bridge to reach Selfs Point.

The 160 meter long ship is moored at nearby Macquarie Wharf.

In August, the AAD said it had received advice from TasPorts that Nuyina was not allowed under the bridge.

“This is clearly disappointing and will have major consequences, both financially and reputationally, for the AAD,” a senior employee told AAD chief executive Emma Campbell when the ruling was made, according to leaked documents obtained by the ABC.

Scientists have raised concerns that Australia’s research efforts in Antarctica could be curtailed by budget cuts

An assessment found that the ship did not meet the minimum safety criteria to pass under the bridge because the hull did not have the stability level of standard hulls when making dynamic turns in windy conditions in confined waters.

The bridge partially collapsed in 1975 after a ship collided with the masts, killing twelve people.

The AAD has indicated that it is not currently seeking an independent review of TasPorts’ decision.

Tasmania’s premier said in August that a business case was being developed to explore different refueling options in Hobart.

The Nuyina replaced the previous icebreaker Aurora Australis, which completed its final voyage in 2020 after three decades of service.

A Senate inquiry into the AAD budget and the impact of cuts is expected to produce a report by the end of November.

The investigation found that some science programs were canceled or postponed and there was an AAD budget overrun of more than $40 million.

Scientists have raised fears that crucial Antarctic research is at risk after the AAD was told it must find $25 million in savings.

An email to all staff, sent by department head Emma Campbell on July 10, stated that the AAD ‘will not be able to afford all current roles’.

However, the regulator, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water (DCCEEW), has since promised that no jobs will be lost.

The Nuyina has been denied permission to pass under the Tasman Bridge in Hobart, meaning it will have to travel more than 600km north to refuel

Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson called the new revelations about fuel costs ‘irritating’.

“We now need to find almost a million dollars to fund an icebreaker that doesn’t have to go to northern Tasmania to refuel,” Senator Whish-Wilson said.

“And that means that every dollar taken out of the AAD budget to fund something like this is a dollar not spent on science.

“It’s a dollar not spent on crucial fieldwork, getting our world-renowned scientists on the ice to do their work at a time of climate crisis.”

He also wondered why no contingency plan had been developed.

“If there was a chance that (the Nuyina) couldn’t get under the Tasman Bridge to refuel, why wasn’t a backup plan in place?” That’s what Senator Whish-Wilson said.

Liberal Senator Jonathon Duniam also called for a solution to the problem, such as bringing a fuel barge to Hobart, an option previously ruled out by TasPorts.

TasPorts defended its decision, saying safety at sea was its priority.

“The final decision on the bridge transit following the completion of the NSVA (Non-Standard Vessel Assessment) earlier this year remains in place,” said harbor master Captain Mick Wall.

The AAD has previously said it is working with the Tasmanian government on long-term refueling options in Hobart.