12. COLIN KING (National—Kaikōura) Link to this
to the Minister of Transport
Why is the Government considering the proposed ferry terminal at Clifford Bay?
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister of Transport) Link to this
Preliminary advice shows that a new sea freight terminal at Clifford Bay could significantly reduce ferry crossing-times by half an hour, and would further reduce the travel time to Christchurch by 50 minutes for road and 80 minutes for rail. This would have the effect of bringing our three largest cities closer together, and therefore increasing productivity and helping economic growth, particularly in the South Island. In addition, the new terminal could provide a real long-term boost to Christchurch’s recovery and confidence. Ferry operators could also benefit by increasing their freight capacity over time and running an extra ferry crossing per day, thereby improving their productivity further.
Firstly, the Ministry of Transport is commissioning a study to further examine the project, including national cost and benefit assumptions, which will take 2 to 3 months to complete. Secondly, using the results we will then be able to determine whether Clifford Bay could be successful and whether it would be a candidate for a public-private partnership, for example. It is not the sort of facility that KiwiRail would have the resources to build on its own, but it could provide a steady, long-term revenue stream to infrastructure investors. Designing and building the terminal would take an estimated 3 to 5 years.
Hon Shane JonesHow does the Government’s ferry terminal consideration take account of the future of Picton and Blenheim, likely to be gutted as a consequence of these changes?
The member may have been asleep at the time, but yesterday Mark Baxter of Sounds Connection, one of the tour operators in Picton, said that without the ferries Picton could come into its own as a tourist destination, and, in his words, “go from strength to strength”. He said: “The ferries going south could be, I think, in actual fact the making of the town.” Of course, the ferries moving to Clifford Bay, if it happened, would also reduce the amount of heavy freight travelling through the Blenheim township.