Details of Interislander Cook Strait ferry replacement plan unveiled

The new Interislander ferries being delivered in 2029 will be about 200m long, 28m wide, and will have rail decks, Minister for Rail Winston Peters says.

He says the marine infrastructure in Picton requires replacement, so it will be replaced, while the Wellington infrastructure "has life left in it" and will be modified and re-used.

A timeline shows a shipyard will be selected for the build, with the government to sign off on contracts by the end of the year.

Multi-party infrastructure works will also be scoped costed and begin by the end of year.

Ferry Holdings, the Schedule 4 company the government has set up, is assuming full responsibility from the Treasury as of April, with critical advisors to be brought on board.

It would get governance structures - including co-funding - in place with both ports, and KiwiRail, before the third quarter of the year.

Peters said the government's solution would be "markedly cheaper" than the previous government's iReX project "because of a minimum viable and maximum reuse approach for the port infrastructure".

"The future Interislander ferries will have road and rail decks, given the efficiency of single shunt movements for multiple rail wagons for loading and unloading," he said.

"The design specifications chosen include vessel lengths of approximately 200 metres - longer and wider than the current fleet and capable of serving our people and goods into the future, but shorter than the large ferries ordered in 2021 which created significant infrastructure issues."

He said the approach taken to the port infrastructure was the most cost effective "and contrasts sharply with the wanton demolition and extravagant specification under the cancelled project, where they assumed almost all costs would be at the taxpayers' expense".

A media release showed the ferries would each have capacity for 1500 passengers, would have 2.4km of lanes for cars, trucks, and 40 rail wagons.

They would be highly manoeuverable, designed to operate at 20 knots, capable of operating through the Tory Channel, and designed with "modern system redundancies and future proofing solutions to reduce carbon emissions".

Mayor Nadine Taylor says Marlborough is ready to work at pace with Government to support the requirements of new ferries announced today by Minister for Rail Winston Peters.

“It is welcome news for us to finally understand the scope and nature of the new ferries planned for Cook Strait. It gives us greater certainty around what needs to be designed and delivered so we can have the conversations we need to with our community,” Mayor Taylor said.

“This decision gives Port Marlborough the certainty it needs to move forward with detailed design to further refine the new port infrastructure requirements and its associated costs. We look forward to continuing the work with Government, KiwiRail and NZTA to ensure all facets of the project deliver the best outcome for the country and Marlborough.”

Mayor Taylor said Marlborough District Council had consistently made representation to Government of the need to invest in the safety and resilience of this critical national transport connection for the long term.

“We have a shared objective of an inter-island ferry service which serves people and shifts goods in a safe, reliable and affordable manner.”

“Keeping our interisland connection is vital, not only for commerce, but to keep New Zealanders connected. Cook Strait is an extension of SH1 and the Main Trunk Line, linking road and rail networks between the north and south island, and new and efficient vessels are critical to keeping New Zealand’s economy moving through the reliable and timely delivery of freight.”

“It’s also important for our tourism community, that visitors to New Zealand can journey seamlessly between the two islands and can book ferry travel with confidence. The ferries have been part of Picton’s landscape for a long time and the journey through the Marlborough Sounds is truly one of New Zealand’s great travel experiences.”

“Council and its subsidiary Port Marlborough New Zealand will work closely with Government and KiwiRail on the portside infrastructure design and associated costings to ensure the commercial viability of the project,” Mayor Nadine Taylor said.

For the full Government announcement go to: www.beehive.govt.nz/release/rail-ferries-and-straightforward-infrastructure