The Interislander Cook Strait ferries are reaching the end of their working life, and two new ferries are being built to replace them. Video / Mark Mitchell
Wellington and Marlborough council leaders say the lack of a rescue vessel for the “legendary” winds and tidal conditions of Cook Strait is undermining public confidence in the Government to manage a well-known risk and prioritise public safety.
Greater Wellington Regional Council chairman Daran Ponter and Marlborough District Council mayorNadine Taylor have penned a sharp letter to Transport Minister Micheal Wood, sent yesterday.
Six vessels made their way to the scene that day, including two tug boats. The ship drifted a nautical mile (1.8km) before its anchors held and power was restored.
Questions have been raised about the physical capability of the harbour tug boats to assist the Kaitaki should they have been needed, especially considering the treacherous conditions.
The tugs are designed to help ships inside the harbour rather than the open water and it’s unknown how successful any effort would have been to secure the ferry.
Ponter and Taylor said the lack of support for shipping outside of ports in such a vital sea corridor like Cook Strait was concerning.
“The serious failure of the Kaitaki in January followed by two more ferry breakdowns in February has undermined our communities’ trust that in time of need, shipping in Cook Strait is supported and passengers’ safety is protected.”
The Interislander and Bluebridge ferries carry about one million passengers across Cook Strait each year, and the waters are also navigated by cruise ships carrying 250,000 passengers visiting each summer, as well as by large bulk carriers.
Greater Wellington Regional Council chairman Daran Ponter. Photo / Mark Mitchell
“Despite this level of traffic, and the legendary winds and tidal currents, there is neither the legislative requirement nor any physical resource to provide support for vulnerable or disabled shipping,” Ponter and Taylor said.
“In our view, this is a completely inadequate situation that is undermining public confidence in our government to manage a well-known risk and prioritise public safety.”
The pair said Cook Strait was effectively part of State Highway 1 and just as the government oversaw safety on the roading network, it should also support safe shipping on one of the country’s busiest marine corridors.
In the late 1980s, the government passed the Port Companies Act. This transferred the commercial activities from harbour boards to new port companies and their social and environmental responsibilities to regional councils.
Ponter and Taylor said this resulted in a change in focus to the commercial aspects of operating ports.
“This has meant safety management outside of the port itself – supporting seagoing vessels – was not relevant to CentrePort’s tug replacement business case. Similarly, Port Marlborough’s tug is suited to towage within Picton Harbour but not Cook Strait.”
They acknowledged a dedicated salvage tug was not a realistic proposition financially but said there were other options.
“The ocean-going tug idea is a lovely idea but, in budgetary terms, I don’t think it is one that would fly.
The vessel needed to have a day job to make it more viable, Nalder said.
“It needs to be a working vessel that pays its bills on a daily basis, but has the ability to provide better assistance than we can at the moment.”
Maritime New Zealand deferred questions about the letter to the Transport Minister’s office.
Michael Wood said there was a role for both central government and local government, as the ultimate port owner, to play in considering these issues.
“I welcome the opportunity to work with Greater Wellington and Marlborough District Council through this process.
“I have met with the KiwiRail board to seek assurances that they are taking this situation seriously, and will be seeking further advice through the inquiries underway from Maritime New Zealand and [the] Transport Accident Investigation Commission to ensure public safety continues to be prioritised.”
Wood acknowledged how frustrating the situation has been for customers and said it was the result of the age of the vessels in the fleet.
“When we came into government we moved quickly to replace the vessels, with work now underway on two new vessels now in Korea.
“Unfortunately not all governments have been willing to tackle the hard issues, so we have to work with the current fleet until the new vessels begin coming into service from 2025.”
The Interislander Cook Strait ferry Kaitaki docked at CentrePort in Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell
