Ferry threat hovers over southern trips

Fast ferries across Cook Strait have been slowed by a Marlborough District Council bylaw, and the companies are warning travellers that they may pull out of the service altogether.

Last week the council passed a bylaw which will halve fast ferry speeds to 18 knots (33 km/h) in the Marlborough Sounds from December 15, before the Christmas-New Year peak. That would add half an hour to the journey.

Local lobbyists say the fast ferries endanger lives and "vandalise" the Sounds' ecosystem with their wake. The council has agreed with their view, but the controversial issue seems headed for further battles in the courts and on the water.

Fast Cat Ferries chief executive Keith Pybus said the bylaw would have a dramatic effect on the company's viability, costing it millions of dollars.

Tranz Rail external relations manager Nicola McFaull said the decision would seriously impact on the 500,000 passengers who used the fast ferries and had come to expect the speedy Cook Strait service. The Marlborough wine and tourism industries would suffer and it could spell the end of the quick cats.

- NZPA