Upgrade for ferry terminal
A multimillion-dollar redevelopment of Picton’s ferry terminal has been approved under the fast-track consenting process. Environment Minister David Parker yesterday welcomed the decision by the expert consenting panel to approve the Waitohi Picton Ferry Precinct Redevelopment Project. The project will allow facilities in Picton to accommodate larger, more eco-friendly ferries. The work involves construction of new terminal infrastructure, roads, seawalls, culverts, and an overbridge. Application documents signalled more than 200 jobs would be created during the project’s construction period. The current Interislander ferries were nearing the end of their life and would be replaced by two larger rail-enabled ferries by the mid-2020s. The new ferries would be able to take up to 45 per cent more passengers and freight.