TasPorts says it's increased King Island sailings, to meet drought demand

After visiting the island, TasFarmers chief Ian Calman, called for TasPorts to increase the number of sailings by Bass Island Lines (BIL).

"Without urgent action now to allow producers to destock land and bring in supplementary feed, the islands producers of livestock are facing a significant animal welfare challenge over the coming months," Mr Calman said.

BIL is a wholly owned subsidiary of TasPorts and is currently the operator of the John Duigan, which covers King Island's freight requirements.

Producers on King Island currently run a quarter of Tasmania's beef herd.

At the time of his visit, Mr Calman said in the next 50 days, the government-operated vessel would only sail 15 times.

He called on the current state government to direct TasPorts to at least double, if not triple, the number of sailings is currently scheduled.

Mr Calman said when King Island last experienced a drought like the current one, producers had an on-island abattoir and access to more regular shipping services to both Tasmania and Victoria.

"As these options are no longer available, the government must act now to support producers - not to provide a handout, just to provide a service that the existing taxpayer-owned boat already has the capacity to deliver," he said.

But TasPorts said from April 1 to June 30, the number of Bass Island Line sailings would effectively double.

TasPorts chief executive Anthony Donald said it had confirmed its intention to increasing Bass Island Line sailings when it met with King Island residents on March 15.

"It finalised an expanded schedule and communicated the extra sailings to its on-island shipping agent, Qube (stevedoring services) and Polaris (for crewing) on Saturday, March 16," he said.

"Tasmanian Cargo Services also communicated the expanded schedule to on-island customers and TasPorts published the updated BIL shipping schedule on Monday, March 19."

Bass Strait Freight director David Harris, who has taken cattle off the island for TRT Pastoral, said he had shjipped more stock off Flinders and King Island than ever before.

"I think we have moved 15,000 head of cattle since Christmas, and that's double what we normally do," he said.

"I have one customer on King Island, and that's TRT."

He had tried to bring the cattle into Apollo Bay, but was barred by Colac Otway shire council, so had to keep transporting them to Port Welshpool.

"We have done six trips for TRT, and there are two more planned, then I am expecting that it is going to rain, and what will happen is there will be more feed on to the island."

He said with a sharp drop in cattle prices "people will start to put their hair back on" and anticipate a tight winter, as it would be cold.

"It's only March and we could rescue a decent autumn out of this," he said. "Every week is a week closer to rain.

"After Easter, we are going to be almost done - most farmers know what it is like not to rain, but it's very unusual not to rain down there."

Most cattle were probably off Flinders Island now and producers would be looking for feed, he said.

There had been a big increase in beef cattle run on King Island and a 40 per cent jump on Flinders Island, he said.

"You can have the best pastures, the best cell grazing system, you can have the best fertiliser program and the best bred cows, but if it stops raining, it just doesn't matter," he said.

"What this has done is give everyone a massive shock."

Because cattle went on the decks of the two BSF line ships, the Matthew Flinders IV and V, they could take more cattle than the government service, which transported them in livestock trailers.

"Our 300 tonne ship takes more cattle than an 1100 tonne ship, we are coming back with 200 tonnes of freight - livestock trailers go back empty," he said.

"Our model is shorter trips, smaller vessels, more regularly."