Winston Peters has asked KiwiRail whether it can add more spare parts to its inventory to speed up future repairs of the ageing fleet. Composite photo / Mark Mitchell
Winston Peters has asked KiwiRail whether it can add more spare parts to its inventory to speed up future repairs of the ageing fleet. Composite photo / Mark Mitchell
Rail Minister Winston Peters has asked KiwiRail whether it can increase its spare parts inventory after a technical fault reduced the ageing Interislander fleet to one vessel this week.
Supply chain disruptions are expected after the Kaiārahi was pulled from service while a replacement part is shipped in.
It isthe first time in four years that Interislander’s fleet has dropped to one vessel.
Freight operators have expressed concern over the reduced crossings, with industry association Transporting New Zealand calling on the Government to consider stepping in to provide support as the sector awaits the planned new ferries set for arrival in 2029.
“These unplanned maintenance issues are likely to keep occurring because these are older vessels, and I’ve been contacted by several members today [saying] that this really shows just how precarious the situation is,” Transporting NZ’s Billy Clemens told the Herald.
In response, Rail Minister Winston Peters said he shares the association’s views on the need for reliability, “which has been near 100% over the past year thanks to a significant lift in asset maintenance and management”.
Interislander had already lifted its spare parts inventory after earlier expectations to improve reliability, Peters said.
On Tuesday, the minister queried “whether any additional parts could be added to the inventory to speed up the repair programmes”.
The ferry is expected to running again early next week after the arrival of a replacement part from overseas, subject to installation, testing, sea trials and regulatory approvals.
Interislander is demonstrating “an abundance of caution by taking the Kaiārahi out of service, as New Zealanders expect”, Peters said.
The Interislander service is down to one ferry for the week as the Kaiārahi is out of action due to a mechanical failure. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Asked whether the Government was considering further support to increase reliability for the Cook Strait service before the arrival of new ferries, Peters said it “would not make sense to access a spare vessel for short-term disruptions”.
To “make space for urgent freight”, passengers booked on Interislander sailings until Monday were offered full refunds to cancel their bookings, and the chance to rebook after March 30 at a 50% discount, according to an email to passengers seen by the Herald.
‘Ferries break down from time to time’ – Seymour
The Government has defended its decision to cancel the previous iReX ferry replacement programme following questions from the Greens in a lively exchange in Parliament this afternoon.
When asked by Green Party transport spokeswoman Julie Anne Genter whether cancelling the ferries due to arrive this year had contributed to disruption on the Strait, Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour said the previous Government’s ferry plans were “an unaffordable and unviable solution”.
Green MP Julie Anne Genter pushed Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour on the reliability of KiwiRail's Cook Strait fleet. Photos / Mark Mitchell
“Yes, the ferries break down from time to time,” Seymour said. “I’ve heard about politicians that bark at every car, but I’ve never heard of one that barks at every ferry.”
Pushing further, Genter asked Seymour what his response was to Clemens’ comments to the Herald that the incident “just shows how vulnerable the Cook Strait connection is”.
“I would say to Billy Clemens, be very careful how people may use your quotes for political advantage in Parliament,” Seymour said.
Genter, asking another supplementary question, asked what action the Government will take to increase resilience on the Cook Strait “given it’s three more years before we are going to get a replacement ferry”.
The Government had “created an affordable pathway to have rail-enabled ferries with places that they can be loaded and unloaded at either end that are actually viable and affordable,” Seymour responded, calling the IRex project “a fantasy rather than a solution”.
Ethan Manera is a Wellington-based journalist covering Wellington issues, local politics and business in the capital. He can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz.
