Winston Peters announces Cook Strait ferry company directors - Chris Mackenzie, Heather Simpson, Greg Lowe

• Directors have been appointed to negotiate procurement contracts for two new Cook Strait ferries.
• Chris Mackenzie will chair the company, with Heather Simpson as deputy chairwoman.
• The board will manage negotiations with shipyards and ports for safe, reliable Interislander services.

Directors have been appointed to the new company charged with negotiating procurement contracts for two Cook Strait ferries.

Minister for Rail Winston Peters revealed Chris Mackenzie will be chairman of Ferry Holdings Limited, a Schedule 4A Company.

Mackenzie led negotiations to buy back New Zealand’s rail assets in the late 2000s and was also the independent chairman of the Horizontal Infrastructure Governance Group involved in the Christchurch Rebuild.

Heather Simpson, the chief of staff to former Prime Minister Helen Clark and an economics lecturer, will be deputy chairwoman.

Greg Lowe has been appointed as a director. He is the former global chief executive of Beca, former managing director of Beca Australia and a qualified marine engineer with previous shipbuilding experience.

Greg Lowe, Chris MacKenzie and Heather Simpson board of Ferry Holdings Limited Composite Photo / NZME

Peters said the three bring substantial and specific expertise for the “no-nonsense” delivery of cost-effective infrastructure.

“The new board will manage the contractual negotiations with shipyards, ports, and any other party required to deliver safe, reliable and resilient Interislander services into the future – working closely with us as shareholding Ministers.

“The board will undertake the procurement process for new ferries and report back to ministers for final decisions and similarly engage in the landside development planning and funding agreements with ports with decisions taken by ministers.

The Government has been working to narrow the list of potential shipbuilders for new Cook Strait ferries so a deal can be struck swiftly when ministers agree on the type of vessels they want.

The future of the ageing Interislander fleet hangs in the balance as Peters, who is now in charge of delivering the new ferries, is on the hunt for a better option than the one Finance Minister Nicola Willis put on the table last year.

Peters said this month that the Government had started worldwide market engagement to buy new ferries.

“The Government will immediately engage shipyards internationally, identifying those with the capability, capacity and interest to deliver new ferries by 2029.

“This will narrow the list of potential shipbuilders to those able to strike a deal, ensuring no time is wasted when we issue the ship specifications later this year.”

The Government has also invited the private sector to submit alternative proposals for a ferry service which will be assessed alongside the procurement process in March.

Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.