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Swire's Hobart to Sydney/Brisbane runs 33pc empty, hopes pinned on pulp

HOBART's only direct shipping service has failed to attract sufficient cargo volumes, running at less than one-third capacity six months after its launch, driving the operator to win more cargo, such as 300,000 tonnes of containerised pulpwood shipments.

Singapore-based Swire Shipping operates the nine-day service from southern Tasmania to Sydney and Brisbane. The business is targeting a range of industries from onion and apple producers to manufacturers and even personal property for people moving interstate, reported ABC News.



Swire commercial manager Alex Pattison said they needed to ramp up business over the next three to six months. The ship can carry up to 300 containers, but has been transporting only 90 containers every nine days.



Hobart Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman, Bob Gozzi, was quoted as saying: "At this point the service that Swire introduced in November is not running at the sort of capacity that long term will be sustainable." 



Plans to resume exports of southern wood residues from Hobart could provide a lifeline to the struggling shipping service. 



The Tasmania state government is in final negotiations with private proponents who plan to ship 300,000 tonnes of pulpwood in containers from Hobart.



Swire was also working on a solution that would re-direct empty containers from Asia to use for wood residues.
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