It has pledged to pump AUD 33m ($34m) into the run from Bell Bay to help recover exporters’ lost revenue of AUD 40m per year.
There has been no direct link to Asia since 2011. Exporters had complained it cost more to ship goods from Tasmania to Melbourne than from Melbourne to overseas ports.
Tasmanian Liberal leader Will Hodgman said a majority Liberal government would create a competitive tender process for a shipping provider and offer up to AUD 11m a year for three years.
"It's
