Full Breakdown
Winston Peters Pushes KiwiRail to Explore Backup Interislander Ferry
7/14/2026, 6:15:08 AM
Request for a Backup Vessel Amid Planned Outage
On 24 March 2024 Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters wrote to state-owned KiwiRail asking the rail operator to “maintain a constant market assessment of additional tonnage options for the Interislander.” He cited concerns raised by freight customers and the road-transport lobby after the recent Kaiarahi disruption and asked for an outline of capital and operating costs for a potential extra vessel. The request came just two weeks after Peters had publicly dismissed the need for a spare ferry.
Recent and Upcoming Service Constraints
The Interislander service will operate with a single ferry for roughly 80 days while the ageing Kaiarahi and Kaitaki undergo wet-dock work in Wellington and hull inspection in Singapore. In 2021, KiwiRail leased the Valentine ferry after Kaiarahi suffered a gear failure that sidelined the vessel for an entire year, a precedent cited by both government and opposition figures.
Official Positions
Peters defended the inquiry, saying there is “nothing wrong with being ready for anything” and that a backup would only be sensible during a prolonged outage. KiwiRail chairwoman Suzanne Tindal reiterated that the company had previously deemed leasing a ship “uneconomic,” providing cost estimates on a confidential basis. Labour transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere accused Peters of “shopping around for an insurance policy” and suggested the government’s ferry replacement programme is far from secure.
Labour Criticism
Utikere argued that if the ferry programme were on track, “there’d be no need for one,” and labeled Peters’ actions as “sly.” He also claimed the previous government would not acknowledge the drop in reliability from 81 % in 2021 and 83 % in 2022 to the near-100 % level reported by Peters.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It would not make sense to access a spare vessel for short-term disruptions,” — Winston Peters, statement, 12 March 2024
- “nothing wrong with being ready for anything” — Winston Peters, statement, 24 March 2024
- “To be clear, getting a backup ferry and crewing an empty vessel would be absolutely foolish behaviour, you would only seriously look at that if you’re staring at a prolonged outage, like when KiwiRail got the Valentine vessel in 2021 after the Kaiarahi suffered a gear failure and was out of service for an entire year.” — Winston Peters, statement, 24 March 2024
- “If everything was on track, there’d be no need for one,” — Tangi Utikere, Labour transport spokesperson
- “Nicola Willis really put the ferries down the gurgler, and now Winston Peters is quietly trying to find a Plan B because he knows the lemon he was handed,” — Tangi Utikere, Labour transport spokesperson
- “ Peters said Interislander reliability had climbed to near 100% since he took over the portfolio, thanks to a “robust asset maintenance regime”.” — Winston Peters, statement, 24 March 2024
