Ferries heading to Nelson

Nelson’s marine engineering reputation and favourable weather have seen KiwiRail send two of its Interislander ferry fleet south for key maintenance over winter.

This year the company’s three passenger ferries Kaiarahi, Aratere and Kaitaki will undergo scheduled maintenance and inspections from mid-May until midAugust.

The Kaiarahi heads across to Nelson at the end of this week, marking the start of an annual maintenance and inspection programme for all three of its ferries.

KiwiRail general manager Interislander operations Mark Thompson said Kaiarahi would be in Nelson for in-water maintenance, including painting and steelworks, and inspections.

The ferry is then expected to sail to Sydney for dry-docking on May 23.

It is understood the lead contractor for the work is Diverse Engineering. The company’s general manager Shane Solly said he welcomed the on-going opportunity for his company and other local firms employed on the ferry projects.

Once the Kaiarahi returns into service the Aratere will then head to Nelson before sailing across to Sydney.

‘‘Both ferries will undergo annual, fiveyear and 20-year surveys – the marine equivalent of warrants of fitness – on critical equipment and components,’’ Thompson said. ‘‘These are carried out by international surveyors.’’

When Aratere returns, Kaitaki will then undertake its survey and maintenance work in Wellington.

In May last year, the Kaitaki spent seven days in Nelson as part of routine repair work to the 23 year-old vessel. It included interior fit-out and painting and was carried out by KiwiRail staff and local firms.

‘‘We chose Nelson for the in-water part of the programme because it has a good marine engineering resources and favourable weather at this time of year,’’ Thompson said.

‘‘We always carry out this critical work over the quieter winter months, so we minimise disruption to our freight and passenger customers.

Thompson said for the six-week period that Aratere was away, KiwiRail would utilise a freight system called ‘‘road bridging’’, where goods in containers are loaded on and off rail wagons or road trailers to ensure uninterrupted transport of rail freight between islands.

Meaning ‘to lead’ or ‘to guide’, the 22,152-ton Kaiarahi was built as the Dawn Merchant for Cenargo International Ltd in 1998.

First chartered by Interislander in November 2013 for the Wellington–Picton route, she became a long-term addition the following year to replace the ageing Arahura and underwent a refit in Singapore.

During its time in NZ, she has endured a handful of mechanical problems, including engine failure in Wellington Harbour, a six-metre gash in the hull during berthing difficulties, and the loss of part of a propeller blade.

In 2016, passengers were delayed by almost five hours when the front bow door on the vessel could not close properly prior to a sailing. A Richmond farmer has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges after inspectors found dead, rotting, and dying calves in sheds on his farm in the Redwood Valley.

Raymond Albert Gardner, 77, appeared in the Nelson District Court on Wednesday on three charges of failing to provide treatment to ill and injured animals, three of failing to meet animals’ needs, three of keeping a suffering animal alive, and two of illtreating an animal.

The charges, laid by the Ministry of Primary Industries, arose from an initial 2016 inspection of his intensive beef cattle farm, Treetops Farm, where he had approximately 200 cattle.

A number of inspections followed, during which animal welfare inspectors found cattle in ‘‘obvious pain and distress’’, with skin sores and diarrhoea, which vets in attendance had to put down.

According to a summary of facts, Gardner appeared surprised and said they ‘‘just needed more time’’.

MPI found he failed to provide adequate shelter, with 56 mature cattle housed in a large shed with a floor that was a ‘‘deep boggy mix of sawdust, mud, water and effluent’’ where cows were standing knee deep, and some struggled to get to their feet.

A vet described it as a ‘‘putrid and fetid bog’’.

Judge David Ruth sentenced Gardner on one of the charges, ordering him to begin paying reparation towards veterinary costs of $4385.16.