Federal environment minister Mark Butler has announced plans to replace Australia's ageing Antarctic icebreaker Aurora Australis.
Mr Butler says the government is calling for tenders to build a replacement for the 4000-tonne bright orange vessel that has become a feature of the Hobart waterfront.
The new boat will be bigger and have better icebreaking capability than the Aurora.
Mr Butler said it would help preserve Hobart's $200 million Antarctic program, which employs more than 1000 people.
"The opportunities for Tasmanian business, the opportunities for Tasmania's economy will just continue to grow with a vastly expanded vessel," he said.
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Mr Butler said local industry would get a "slice of the action" but stopped short of declaring the new boat would be built in Australia.
He said it was expected the new vessel would be delivered in the summer of 2017/18 when the Aurora, which was built in the late 1980s, is due to be decommissioned.
