Spirit ferry livestock transport to resume

Livestock transportation on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry across Bass Strait will resume, days after being put on ice following a court ruling over animal welfare law breaches.

TT-Line on Friday suspended livestock transportation on the basis of legal advice after it was found guilty of breaches relating to the deaths of 16 polo ponies on a voyage in 2018.

Several horse and livestock transport companies said they were blindsided by the decision.

Tasmania's Infrastructure and Transport Minister Michael Ferguson on Tuesday announced the ferry service would resume carrying livestock.

He said the state government had reached an interim agreement with the natural resources and environment department to provide TT-Line with one staff member to judge the suitability of transport vehicles and health of animals.

Mr Ferguson said the interim agreement would be in place for a month, and further staff could be added.

He described the court ruling as a "curve ball" that affected all Bass Strait carriers.

"The nature of the court decision has forced significant changes and rethinking about the way in which livestock can be transported across Bass Strait," he told reporters.

"The new arrangements are over and above what were in place. TT-Line had little choice and needed to follow legal advice."

Livestock transportation will resume on Devonport ferry departures from Tuesday and on Geelong departures from Wednesday.

TT-Line was on Thursday found guilty in Burnie Magistrates Court of 29 animal welfare law breaches in relation to the ponies' deaths on a January night sailing.

They were among 18 horses travelling from Devonport to Melbourne in a converted refrigeration trailer.

Magistrate Leanne Topfer ruled the company made no inquiries to ensure the horses were individually stalled, as per regulations, or to ensure they had adequate ventilation.

She said TT-Line relied solely relied on a declaration made by the trailer's driver, ex-Australian polo captain Andrew Williams who is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to animal welfare breaches.

She said the horses travelled in a clearly inadequately ventilated transport unit that was stationary for 10 hours on a warm evening.

Sixteen horses were exposed to the risk of acute heat stress and asphyxiation and died from respiratory failure, Ms Topfer said.

She said the horses might have survived if they had been individually stalled.

TT-Line is expected to be sentenced on December 21.