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By Rosemary Grant
Thursday, 25/09/2008
Some Flinders Island residents are considering investing in a local co-operative shipping service to overcome problems in getting livestock off the island.According to Flinders Island beef cattle producer, Peter Scollard, it's the ideal way to overcome the problem he's experienced getting cattle to market.There have been significant delays getting stock off the island since Southern Shipping replaced it's roll-on roll-off ferry, the Matthew Flinders, with a general freight carrier which is not purpose built for shipping livestock.Yesterday Southern Shipping told a special Flinders Island shipping committee meeting The Matthew Flinders will be back in service next week.But Peter Scollard told says he's frustrated with the lack of transport competition, and is suggeting a community based co operative model to run a second service."I looked on the internet this morning and I saw a vessel in the Mediterranean which is a livestock carrier which can carry 550 head of cattle at 500 kilo's each and that's for sale for US$500,000."Mr Scollard said if the community were to buy a vessel it could potentially be serviced and operated by the Maritime College with some state government backing and with expertise from the TT Line.
In this report: Peter Scollard, cattle producer
Thursday, 25/09/2008
Some Flinders Island residents are considering investing in a local co-operative shipping service to overcome problems in getting livestock off the island.According to Flinders Island beef cattle producer, Peter Scollard, it's the ideal way to overcome the problem he's experienced getting cattle to market.There have been significant delays getting stock off the island since Southern Shipping replaced it's roll-on roll-off ferry, the Matthew Flinders, with a general freight carrier which is not purpose built for shipping livestock.Yesterday Southern Shipping told a special Flinders Island shipping committee meeting The Matthew Flinders will be back in service next week.But Peter Scollard told says he's frustrated with the lack of transport competition, and is suggeting a community based co operative model to run a second service."I looked on the internet this morning and I saw a vessel in the Mediterranean which is a livestock carrier which can carry 550 head of cattle at 500 kilo's each and that's for sale for US$500,000."Mr Scollard said if the community were to buy a vessel it could potentially be serviced and operated by the Maritime College with some state government backing and with expertise from the TT Line.
In this report: Peter Scollard, cattle producer
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