Aratere To Retire In August
Press Release – KiwiRail
Kairahi will go to dry dock in Singapore, leaving in late June and when it arrives back in mid to late August, Aratere will retire from service.
KiwiRail has confirmed that its ferry Aratere will retire no later than 30 August, after a quarter of a century's service on Cook Strait, Interislander Executive General Manager Duncan Roy says.
KiwiRail announced three weeks ago that Aratere would be retired this year. This followed advice that demolition of Aratere's wharf in Picton could begin as soon as October this year, and no later than March next year, to build the infrastructure for the new ferries being procured by Ferry Holdings Ltd, which are due to arrive in 2029.
Kaiārahi will go to dry dock in Singapore, leaving in late June and when it arrives back in mid to late August, Aratere will retire from service.
'Interislander's transition from a three to two-ship fleet has a number of implications for the company and for our customers.
'The first impact is on our dedicated team and a formal consultation will begin with them.
'There are also impacts on our valued freight and commercial customers, and for the public.
'In the last few weeks, we have talked to our customers and others and confirmed a new two-ship timetable and the co-ordinating rail timetable. We have also been developing our plan for successful 'road bridging' during the transition period to the new rail-enabled ships and this work, including new equipment purchase and additional staffing, is on-track.
'More than 2200 passenger bookings have now been transferred from Aratere to Kaitaki and Kaiārahi. If the replacement bookings do not suit customers, they can change the sailing without incurring any change fee or receive a full refund. Holders of more than 2500 passenger bookings affected by a change in departure time with the move to the new two-ship timetable have also been notified of their new departure time.
'Our website and call centre have now re-opened for all bookings for the period from 9 September onwards. Anyone who needs to speak to our customer representatives and does not have time to wait can choose the callback option and will not lose their place in the queue.
'Freight customers will be contacted again from today to lock in their freight requirements.
During the transition period to the new ferries passengers may have to travel at less popular times or be more flexible about the dates they travel. We recommend booking early for travel during the summer peak season.
'Interislander ferries are New Zealanders' ferries. Aratere has been a workhorse of Cook Strait since arriving in 1999. While we will be sorry to see her go, it is a necessary step towards the arrival of new, bigger, more fuel-efficient rail-enabled ferries in 2029 which together will have more passenger capacity than the current three ships.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
an hour ago
- Scoop
Surf Life Saving New Zealand Announces Continuation Of Partnership With Toyota Financial Services
Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ) is today announcing a further three-year extension of its partnership with Toyota Finance New Zealand (TFS), with TFS signing on to remain a Major Partner. For 115 years, surf lifeguards have stood watch over New Zealand's coastline to help ensure beachgoers return home safely, many of them volunteers. SLSNZ supports over 74 surf lifesaving clubs patrolling at over 90 locations, and more than 4,600 volunteer surf lifeguards. SLSNZ relies on the support of its commercial partners to help them carry out this important work. Steve Fisher, SLSNZ CEO, believes that a longstanding partnership such as the SLSNZ relationship with TFS can only be successful if it is based on an aligned purpose. 'We admire Toyota's value of being a brand for all Kiwis, ensuring that the freedom of movement is a reality for all. Similarly, we are focused on making our beaches and coastlines accessible to everyone, by focusing on protecting and supporting our local communities, reducing risk, being proactive in preventing harm, and driving positive outcomes,' he says. Toyota Financial Services has supported SLSNZ for an incredible 13 years and the sponsorship will see it supply the organisation with over 70 Toyota vehicles to support regional lifesaving delivery and community education programmes – making it one of the largest not-for-profit vehicle fleets in New Zealand. The vehicles have proven to be valuable tools in Surf Life Saving's mission to keep New Zealanders safe on our vast stretch of coastline. Toyota Financial Services' Chief Executive Officer, Brent Knight says that the continuation of the partnership was natural given the close relationship between the organisations, and he anticipated that the Toyota brand would continue to be linked with surf lifesaving rescue services nationally. 'We have an aligned goal in focusing on the wellbeing of our nation. To achieve this goal, we need to ensure surf lifeguards have the appropriate support and resources to perform their role to the best of their abilities,' he says. 'We are a nation of coast lovers: every year, around 3.1 million Kiwis visit the coast on average 3.8 times a month. Unfortunately, between 2014 and 2024, there were 429 drowning fatalities along our beaches and coastlines. But that number would have been much higher were it not for surf lifeguards, who saved 726 lives last summer.' Brent says that, from Toyota's perspective, there is a strong alignment of objectives and cultures between Toyota and Surf Life Saving, in particular their focus on community and safety. 'Community involvement is one of our core Toyota pillars. We have always had deep roots in our local communities, and we are focused on how we can make a positive social impact and give back to them.' he says. 'By supporting the Surf Life Saving movement, we are literally helping to save lives.' As part of the partnership, TFS will remain a naming rights sponsor of the Surf Life Saving Northern Region Awards of Excellence, the annual celebration of surf lifesaving excellence across the Auckland and Northland regions, stretching south to Raglan on the west coast. For the first time, TFS will also be the naming rights sponsor of the national Awards of Excellence, celebrating the best of New Zealand's surf lifesaving achievements. 'We've been supporting these celebrations for the Northern Region for many years, so it only makes sense for us to extend that support to celebrate all our surf lifeguards and all surf lifesaving clubs across the country,' says Brent. 'These awards are a great opportunity for us to meet and acknowledge the people behind the clubs and patrols that continue to keep us safe, summer after summer, year after year.'
1News
2 hours ago
- 1News
Reserve Bank criticised by Willis over handling of Adrian Orr exit
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has criticised the Reserve Bank for its sharing of information surrounding former governor Adrian Orr's sudden resignation in March, saying the central bank could "have pulled their socks up." The rebuke comes after the bank yesterday released documents revealing Orr quit in March due to a funding dispute with the bank's board and the Government. It was a fact previously not disclosed publicly, with the media and financial observers having received few answers from the central bank's leadership. "I've expressed that I think they could have shared the information they shared yesterday earlier," Willis told reporters at Fieldays today. "I have spoken to their chairperson, Neil Quigley, and expressed my view that they did not manage that Official Information Act request well, and that I expect them to do better. He has acknowledged that they could have and should have done better." ADVERTISEMENT The morning's headlines in 90 seconds including passengers stuck on ferry overnight, new flights to Sydney coming, and the weirdest things we leave in Ubers. (Source: 1News) Multiple journalists and financial observers have had Official Information Act request deadlines about the former governor's departure extended over the past few months. The Finance Minister emphasised expectations around transparency from agencies. "It's my expectation that all government agencies comply with their statutory obligations, and wherever possible, are open and transparent with New Zealanders," she said. "Of course, they need to balance that against their legal obligations when it comes to employment discussions and agreements. "But on this one, I think they could have pulled their socks up." In response to the minister's criticism, Quigley acknowledged shortcomings in handling information requests and added he was limited in what he could've said about Orr's resignation when it was first announced in March. ADVERTISEMENT In what it described as a response to numerous Official Information Act (OIA) requests over the resignation, the Reserve Bank revealed yesterday that Orr resigned after disagreeing with the board and Willis over operational funding. Nicola Willis speaks to media at Parliament on May 6. (Source: 1News) Documents show Orr believed the bank needed $1.031 billion over a five-year period, but the board was willing to accept "considerably less." According to the Reserve Bank, this caused "distress" to Orr and led to his personal decision that he "had achieved all he could as governor" and could not continue with less funding than he thought viable for the bank to fulfil its obligations. The bank eventually secured $750 million in operating expenses and $25.6 million in capital expenditure. Bank chairperson 'regrets' information release delays Quigley said he "regrets" not releasing information on Orr's departure sooner. ADVERTISEMENT "The Reserve Bank was late in producing a response to some of the OIAs we received on Adrian Orr's resignation. I regret that this delay occurred," he said in a statement. "The circumstances and the volume of information associated with the OIAs on Adrian Orr's resignation were complex, and we needed to be sure that our consideration of relevant information was comprehensive. Reserve Bank Board Chair Neil Quigley. (Source: 1News) "As well as our obligations under the OIA, we needed to take into careful consideration the former Governor's exit agreement and privacy law. "For this reason, we extended consultation on the information and our response, including review by senior external counsel." He added that he was "limited" in disclosing why the former governor resigned in March. Reason behind resignation finally revealed officially ADVERTISEMENT Orr had served in the role of governor for seven years at the time of his resignation. He left his job three years before his second five-year term was due to end. Willis and bank officials were tight-lipped for months over the departure of one of the Government's most senior public sector bosses. When the former governor's departure was announced on March 5, little reason was provided beyond that it was his "personal decision". Speaking to reporters on the day, the Reserve Bank's board chairperson Neil Quigley was asked directly why Orr had resigned and whether funding issues were behind it. Quigley was also asked whether there were any "policy, conduct or performance issues which are at the centre of this resignation". He responded: "We have issues that we've been working through, but there are no issues of that type that are behind this resignation." But speaking today, the bank's chairperson said he was "limited" over what he could say at the time of the media conference. "On March 5, I was limited in what I could say about the former governor's resignation both by the terms of his exit agreement and the fact that we were still working through finalisation of the detail of the next five-year funding agreement. "We were conscious of the need to explain to staff of the Reserve Bank the potential implications for staffing levels of a lower level of funding and needed time to consider the details of that."
NZ Herald
2 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Labour overtakes National in post-Budget poll, economy top issue for New Zealanders
Labour has overtaken National in the latest Taxpayers' Union-Curia poll, which was conducted earlier this month following both the controversial pay equity changes and the Government delivering the Budget. Also, for the first time since October last year, the cost of living is no longer New Zealanders' top issue,
