Latest news with #Interislander
RNZ News
02-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Scores ignore rain to welcome new Bluebridge ferry
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Scores of people braved the rain in Wellington this morning to welcome a new Cook Strait ferry. StraitNZ Bluebridge's new Cook Strait ferry Livia arrived at Oriental Bay shortly before 9am on Thursday. The vessel left Denmark six weeks ago, travelling to New Zealand via Portsmouth in the United Kingdom and the Panama Canal. StraitNZ chief executive Shane McMahon said it was smooth sailing for the ferry as it made its way across two oceans to New Zealand. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Previously sailing between Germany and Latvia, the Livia is a sister ship to StraitNZ's Connemara , which began service on Cook Strait in 2023. The ferry which began sailing in 2008 will carry 500 passengers and include an extra deck for freight compared to the Strait Feronia which it will replace. Strait Feronia was built in 1997 and was able to carry 400 passengers. McMahon said the Livia would increase the operator's capacity by 10 percent. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Bluebridge's acquisition of the ferry marked a significant next step in the company's ongoing investment in Cook Strait infrastructure and capacity. " Livia delivers an increase in both freight and passenger capacity, and we're very pleased to have secured a vessel of this quality and suitability for Cook Strait conditions." The company currently holds 50 percent of the Cook Strait freight market and almost 40 percent of the passenger market. Its competitor, the Interislander , which is owned by KiwiRail, currently has three Cook Strait ferries to Bluebridge's two, but will be retiring its Aratere ferry later this year. It was not expected to replace the rest of its ageing fleet until new ships were delivered in 2029. Over the next 20 days a number of procedural and safety aspects would take place for the Livia, including audits and the crew familiarising themselves with the ship. Its first sailing is expected to be on 23 July. Meanwhile, at least 100 people huddled in the rain along Oriental Bay this morning, waiting to catch a glimpse of the new ship as it was escorted into the harbour by tugs. Among them was Amy who had travelled by train from Lower Hutt. Susan Rosa and Pepi, who were also among the crowd, travel across the Cook Strait at least once a year and hoped to sail on the Livia on one of their future trips. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
1News
02-07-2025
- Business
- 1News
Dublin St overbridge confirmed in post-iReX Picton plans
A port infrastructure upgrade in Picton to accommodate new ferries will include building a Dublin St overbridge, Rail Minister Winston Peters confirmed on Tuesday. He was in the port town to announce that Ferry Holdings has reached an agreement with CentrePort, Port Marlborough and KiwiRail on the core infrastructure scope for the new Interislander ferries, covering the physical work and equipment to be delivered by 2029. The Dublin St overbridge was a feature of the previous ferry project iReX, and work had already started on the site when the project was scrapped at the end of 2023. The intersection had to be put back to normal in 2024 to restore the road connection to central Picton. On Tuesday, Peters said the overbridge was necessary to rid the town of the blocked streets it would experience when freight-laden trains arrived at the port. 'This road takes 33% of the passengers from both ferry operators, but it's blocked when long trains arrive in Picton or shunting movements take place in the in the rail yard,' he said. ADVERTISEMENT 'This impacts tourists visiting New Zealand and locals alike. 'Trains will get longer and busier in the future, so we must address this problem.' Rail Minister Winston Peters announces new infrastructure for Port Marlborough in Picton on Tuesday. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Peters said the overbridge, which would be funded by KiwiRail, would be ready by 2029, and would be built with minimal disruption to the community. 'The teams at Ferry Holdings, CentrePort, Port Marlborough and KiwiRail are doing an outstanding job in the service of the taxpayer, and we thank them for it.' Mayor Nadine Taylor welcomed the announcement as the overbridge had been requested by the community since the scrapped iReX project. 'I'm feeling really pleased and really relieved. It's great to have it confirmed, both for Picton and for the community,' Taylor said. ADVERTISEMENT 'We always knew it was needed with the new ferries ... and it's wonderful to have the minister come down here on site to Picton and confirm to the council and to the community that it is going to happen.' Mayor Nadine Taylor says she is pleased by the announcement of an overbridge for Picton's Dublin St. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Congestion was a critical issue, both for the general public but also emergency services, she said. 'You cannot have a town where you can't have emergency services easily access both sides of the town. 'The overbridge will take away all of that risk. 'It really is a fantastic future-proofing piece of infrastructure for the town of Picton.' Taylor was at Peters' announcement at the Marlborough Port offices on Tuesday, along with Port Marlborough chairperson Warren McNabb, and Ferry Holdings chairperson Chris Mackenzie. ADVERTISEMENT The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including Australia's weather bomb, the surprising costs of getting one more dog, and BTS are back. (Source: 1News) Peters said port and KiwiRail agreements would be entered later this year to confirm the investment splits between Ferry Holdings and each other company and other commercial terms. 'This is not our first regatta, as this no-nonsense infrastructure focus is what was supposed to happen in 2020, until poor management and a lack of oversight allowed iReX to blow out,' he said. 'We will save the taxpayer billions through our disciplined approach. 'The agreements entered into effectively mean the ports and KiwiRail are in, boots and all, with Cabinet's preferred low-cost option.' The current Interislander terminal, built as a temporary option, will become the permanent terminal. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Another major component of the Picton infrastructure included the reuse of passenger and commercial vehicle facilities, as well as the terminal building. ADVERTISEMENT The Interislander's current terminal building, built as a temporary option after the old terminal building was demolished in 2024, would become the permanent terminal. 'iReX was going to build a Taj Mahal terminal building here in Picton, and a Sydney Opera House in Wellington,' Peters said. 'We are keeping [the] existing buildings in contrast, as all passengers need is a warm, dry spot to wait with their luggage, especially when the vast majority wait in their own vehicle, not the building.' Peters said the pre-fab structure would serve as the terminal building for the next 60 years. 'A whole lot of people, more practical, more clever, more smart, who took this country to be number one in the world ... decided it was the best option, and I agree with them.' Peters said there could need to be additional works performed on the terminal building to make it permanent. By Kira Carrington, Local Democracy Reporter ADVERTISEMENT LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
01-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Ferry Privatisation Would Be A Disaster
The Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) says suggestions of privatisation of the new Cook Strait Interislander ferries would be a dangerous step backwards. The proposals were contained in a cabinet paper presented to the Government earlier this year and obtained by media under the OIA. Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Carl Findlay says past privatisation of strategic transport infrastructure had caused great harm to our national supply chain. He says the ideological push for privatization will be coming from the extreme right in the Government represented by the ACT Party. Mr Findlay says New Zealand's rail network, including the ferries, had been sold off to overseas corporates in the 1990s by a right wing National Government. "What followed was a textbook case of corporate raiding, where assets were stripped for short-term profit, maintenance was run into the ground, and workers paid with their lives due to shocking health and safety breaches.' 'The taxpayer was then forced to spend millions to buy back the asset and start the long process of fixing it up.' Mr Findlay says it is essential for a New Zealand owned, public ferry operator to be on the Cook Strait for economic security and supply chain resilience. He says the Cook Strait is our 'blue highway', an essential extension of State Highway 1 and the Main Trunk Line. 'We believe the Minister of Rail, Winston Peters, who has spoken at length about the failures of past privatisations, will not allow the Government to be swayed by ACT style agendas.' Mr Findlay says the ferry replacement process has already been a fiasco, with the decision of Finance Minister Nicola Willis to cancel the iRex project creating years of delays and a billion dollar cost to New Zealand. He says there are many other opportunities for private operators to enter into other coastal shipping services, and the Government should be supporting this goal. 'For the Cook Strait, our focus should be on investing in a modern, reliable, and publicly-owned ferry fleet that is fit for the 21st century and serves all New Zealanders.' The Maritime Union of New Zealand represents seafaring and catering crews on both Cook Strait ferry operators.
1News
01-07-2025
- Business
- 1News
Cook Strait ferries: 'No nonsense' infrastructure deal — Peters
Key infrastructure agreements have been struck between port operators and government agencies ahead of the arrival of replacement Cook Strait ferries in 2029. Ferry Holdings Limited's agreements with CentrePort, Port Marlborough and KiwiRail set out the scope of physical work and equipment to be delivered by 2029 when two new Interislander vessels arrive, Rail Minister Winston Peters announced this morning. In Picton, new wharves and linkspans will be built, while in Wellington, "we will be maximising the use of the existing Aratere infrastructure by modifying and strengthening the existing wharf to suit new ferries for the next 30 years and building a new linkspan". The existing wharf in Wellington would be extended "by the minimal amount necessary to accommodate the new, larger ships". Contract with Hyundai to build two new Interislander ferries as well as infrastructure contracts were canned after the coalition took office. (Source: 1News) ADVERTISEMENT "Perfectly good yards will continue to serve us as they have for decades," Peters said. An overbridge would also be built at Dublin St in Picton, the minister confirmed, which would separate road traffic from freight trains. The new bridge would "rid the town of the blocked streets it will experience when freight-laden trains arrive at the port. The road and rail will be grade-separated before 2029 as a safety and efficiency improvement for road and rail." Peters said: "The ports and KiwiRail have agreed to minimal scope improvements to the yards, avoiding much of the costly scope creep which occurred under iReX, which sought to lift the yards by metres and then complete required reconfigurations." New Zealand First leader Winston Peters. (Source: 1News) He added, criticising the previous Labour government: "This is not our first regatta, as this no-nonsense infrastructure focus is what was supposed to happen in 2020 until poor management and a lack of oversight allowed iReX to blow out." Peters has faced criticism from the opposition as he was part of the Labour coalition government, which first decided to replace the Interislander ferries. ADVERTISEMENT New Zealand First, Peters' party, subsequently entered into a coalition with National following the 2023 election. The Government went on to cancel existing contracts for new ships as one of its first major moves in office after major cost escalations.
RNZ News
25-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Treasury advised government not to buy rail enabled Cook Strait ferries weeks before it announced it would
Minister for Rail Winston Peters announcing the Cook Strait ferry replacement plan back in March. Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER Treasury advised the government not to buy rail enabled Cook Strait ferries three weeks before it announced it would. On March 31 the government announced it would buy two new Interislander ferries to be delivered by 2029 to replace the current aging fleet. It came in wake of Finance Minister Nicola Willis having pulled the plug on the previous government's Cook Strait mega ferry plan named iReX in 2023. The ships announced in March would be 200 meters long and rail enabled, which meant rail freight could be rolled on and off them. New documents revealed under the Official Information Act show just 20 days earlier on March 10, Treasury recommended the government buy non-rail enabled ships. The agency said the option would be cheaper while achieving the aim of the project. "There are operational advantages from rail-enablement, but these do not fully offset the increased capital cost." The Ministry of Transport also cast doubt on the move, and last year a Ministerial Advisory Group recommended the government buy two non-rail enabled ferries. Meanwhile the Ferry Holdings Company which was set up in March to lead contractual negotiations with shipyards and ports supported a decision to buy rail enabled ferries. "The simplest and most efficient method of moving freight across Cook Strait is by rail enabled ferries." In a statement to RNZ Rail Minister Winston Peters said that officials took a narrow approach on the consideration of the ferry options. "They were effectively on autopilot, believing the government would agree to end 60 years of Interislander connecting road and rail." Peters said he did not agree with the advice Treasury provided. "Their advice was so blinkered that it consistently presented its recommended solution as "cheaper" even when their own analysis showed the option we selected had the lowest overall cost and the highest economic value." Treasury declined to comment on Peters' statements. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
