$2.3 billion saved on ferries

Winston Peters announced:

The Government has saved the taxpayer billions with two new Interislander ferries from Guangzhou Shipyard International and no-nonsense infrastructure in Picton and Wellington, Rail Minister Winston Peters announced today.

“Two new ferries serving road and rail will enter Cook Strait service in 2029, thanks to a $596 million fixed price contract between Ferry Holdings and experienced shipbuilder Guangzhou Shipyard International,” Mr Peters says.

“The total programme will cost less than $2 billion, with the taxpayer contribution coming in under the $1.7 billion allocated at the start of this year.

“Spending less than $1.7 billion means the taxpayer has saved $2.3 billion while still getting the ferries and infrastructure they want, because we have done away with the expensive consultants who hijacked the project by adding more and more infrastructure until Treasury warned the project would cost $4 billion.

That is a massive saving. There’s now more money available to health and education infrastructure – rather than ferry terminals.