Planning for larger ferries under way
A date appears to have been set for Interislander to get new, bigger Cook Strait ferries – but it seems nobody told the ferry operator.
With passenger and freight volumes expected to increase significantly in coming years, the ground-based work needed to accommodate the larger ferries has been outlined in a report to Greater Wellington Regional Council’s regional strategy committee.
At least one operator – Interislander – planned ‘‘to purchase and operate new larger vessels on the Cook Strait. These are scheduled to arrive in 2022’’, the council report said. ‘‘These new vessels will require new terminal facilities as well as additional infrastructure.’’
But according to Interislander’s overseer KiwiRail, the process is not so far down the track.
It was only ‘‘looking at upgrading its ferries’’ and was still working through options, a spokeswoman said, adding that no timeline was set and no decisions had been made.
Acting KiwiRail chief executive Todd Moyle said in October that all three of its ferries – Aratere, Kaiarahi and Kaitaki – were nearing the end of their lives. KiwiRail needed new ships ‘‘built for our specifications and requirements’’, he wrote in a Stuff opinion piece.
‘‘Our future freight and tourism needs will require bigger ships, and our ports at Wellington and Picton need to be able to handle them.’’
One of the decisions still to be made was whether to have a train deck, which would allow a loaded train to roll on at the start of a journey and roll off at the other end, or whether to just transfer cargo from trains to trailers, Moyle said.
‘‘In the next couple of months, the results of our investigations and consultation with our people, our union partners, customers and stakeholders will be known.
‘‘The size and number of ships in our new fleet, and the type best suited to our future freight and tourism needs, will be decided. Whatever the result, new ships will deliver more capacity, increased resilience, better fuel efficiency and greater reliability for our customers.’’
The new ferries would have new facilities and would make for a better crossing, he said.
Greater Wellington is also leading a project to develop a new ‘‘multi-user’’ Cook Strait ferry terminal in Wellington, which will serve as the port for both Interislander and Bluebridge ferries.
The two sites being considered are at Interislander’s current Kaiwharawhara site and Kings Wharf, near the existing Bluebridge operation and Wellington Railway Station.
‘‘Forecasts of future demand indicate that substantial growth in both freight and passenger numbers is likely over the next 10-20 years,’’ the report said.
‘‘However, the terminal infrastructure is a long-term investment, and so an understanding of demand over a 50-year timeframe should be considered when designing.
‘‘By 2025, it is expected that annual passenger numbers will rise to 1.7 million.’’
Passenger numbers totalled about 1 million in 2010.