NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff says that the grounding of the Aratere is a warning about the current state of the Interislander service.
“New Zealand has now found itself lucky twice with the Interislander. In 2023, the Kaitaki lost all power with more than 800 passengers on board. Now the Aratere is grounded in Picton. The health and safety of passengers and crew demands a full investigation,” said Wagstaff.
“Our thoughts are with the crew and drivers currently being evacuated.
“These are aging ships that require more intensive repair and maintenance – as we discovered last year when the Kaiarahi service was canceled for days. It’s beyond time that they were replaced with safe and efficient ferries.
“$15bn of cargo is carried annually by the Interislander. It’s in everyone’s interest to make sure that the service is seaworthy.
“The decision to cancel the replacement ferries should be urgently reviewed in light of the developments overnight. The replacement ships from Korea could have been here from next year.
“This is a symbol of the direction of this Government. We can’t get power to Northland. A key ferry service is grounded. Yet investment by government in infrastructure will fall every year under the new Budget. The priorities of this Government are all wrong.
“We need an urgent and thorough investigation into this incident, which must include how we are going to deliver new ferries in a reasonable timeline. This grounding is warning that without further investment, lives and our economic security will be put at risk,” said Wagstaff.