Peter Dunne: Replacing Cook Strait Ferries

In March this year, Straits Shipping, operators of the Bluebridge Cook Strait ferries, announced the purchase of a new ferry. The nearly 28,000 tonne Livia, built in 2008, was bought to replace the 28 year-old Strait Feronia, in service with Bluebridge since 2015.

The Livia arrived in Wellington earlier this month and began service on the Cook Strait run this week. No terminal renovations have been required in either Picton or Wellington to accommodate the Livia, which will carry around 375 passengers and 200 cars. Morgan Stanley Infrastructure, owners of Straits Shipping since 2022, have not disclosed the Livia's purchase price nor how long the purchase negotiations took.

Chris Lynch: Government announces new plan for Interislander ferries and infrastructure overhaul

Cabinet has signed off on the package, which Peters said will deliver the right ships and infrastructure at a significantly lower cost to taxpayers than the previous plan.

“Our solution will be markedly cheaper than the cancelled $3.1 billion programme and the $4 billion figure officials warned the last Government about,” Peters said.

John MacDonald: Hey KiwiRail, come clean or be cleaned-up

I think we’ve reached the point where people are going to be asking themselves not only “if I book a ticket on the Interislander, how confident can I be that they won’t cancel on me?” I think we’re at the point now we’re people will also be asking themselves how safe they feel using the service.

I was talking to someone who said after this news about the autopilot on the Aratere the other week, that’s them done with the Interislander and, if they want or need to take a ferry across Cook Strait, it will be Bluebridge all the way.

Dr Bryce Edwards: Politicians are failing to put the national interest first in infrastructure

Key Facts

* The last Labour Government oversaw KiwiRail’s iRex ferry procurement project, in which costs ballooned.


* National Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced in December that she was cancelling the iRex ferry procurement project.

* A report has just been delivered to the government on options for the ferry procurement project.

* The grounding of the Aratere Interisland ferry over the weekend has reignited concerns about when new ferries will arrive and whether they will be fit for purpose.