Written questions

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What volume of rail freight, measured in net tonne kilometres or wagon equivalents, has been road-bridged across Cook Strait in each quarter since the Aratere was retired in August 2025?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What estimate, if any, has been made of the volume of freight that has permanently transferred from rail to road as a result of the loss of a rail-enabled Cook Strait vessel, and what is the estimated annual revenue impact on KiwiRail?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What assessment, if any, has been made of the additional heavy vehicle movements on State Highway 1 attributable to road-bridging of Cook Strait rail freight, and what is the estimated additional road maintenance cost?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What was the total cost of demolishing the Aratere's wharf in Picton, and what proceeds, if any, were received from the disposal of the Aratere itself?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

How many days has the Interislander operated a one-ship schedule in each calendar year since 2024, and how many days is it forecast to operate a one-ship schedule in each of 2026, 2027 and 2028?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What modelling, if any, has KiwiRail or Ferry Holdings undertaken on the volume of freight expected to move off Cook Strait during planned one-ship maintenance periods between 2026 and 2028, and what were the results?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What estimate, if any, has been made of the economic cost of reduced Cook Strait ferry capacity during planned maintenance periods between 2026 and 2028, including any estimate of lost productivity or supply chain cost?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

How many sailings were cancelled across the Interislander fleet in each of the 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years, and what was the estimated revenue impact of those cancellations?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What is the cost to KiwiRail of relaunching the NZ Connect coastal shipping service, and what freight volumes is it forecast to carry during the 2026 and 2027 maintenance periods?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What advice, if any, has the Minister received on the cost of leasing an additional vessel to operate on Cook Strait prior to 2029, and what was the estimated cost?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What is the current total forecast cost of the Cook Strait Ferry Replacement Programme, broken down by vessel construction, Wellington port infrastructure, Picton port infrastructure, programme management and contingency?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

How much of the $1.9 billion total programme cost for the ferry replacement programme is not counted within the $1.704 billion taxpayer contribution, and who bears each component of that difference?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What proportion, if any, of the $100 million contributed by CentrePort and the $110 million contributed by Port Marlborough is expected to be recovered through port fees paid by KiwiRail, and over what period?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What assessment, if any, has been made of the effect of port fees payable under the new arrangements on freight rates across Cook Strait, compared with fees payable under the current arrangements?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

On what basis is the claimed saving of approximately $2.3 billion against Project iReX calculated, including the assumed iReX total cost, the price basis or reference year used, and whether the figure is expressed in nominal or real terms?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What contingency is held within the $1.704 billion taxpayer contribution to the Cook Strait Ferry Replacement Programme, and how much of that contingency, if any, has been drawn down to date?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

Which components of the Cook Strait Ferry Replacement Programme cost are based on long-range estimates rather than fixed or target outturn prices, and what is the combined value of those components?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What has been the total operating cost of Ferry Holdings Limited since its establishment in March 2025, broken down by financial year?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What was the total cost of the Ministerial Advisory Group on Cook Strait ferry options, including fees, secretariat and any external advice it commissioned?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What has been the total expenditure on external consultants and advisors relating to Cook Strait ferry procurement since December 2023, across KiwiRail, Ferry Holdings, the Ministry of Transport and the Treasury?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

How many Interislander staff positions, if any, were disestablished as a result of the transition from a three-ship to a two-ship fleet, and what was the total cost of redundancies paid?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What assessment, if any, has been made of the difference in freight and passenger capacity between the vessels ordered under Project iReX and the vessels Kupe and Cook, and what is the estimated effect on Cook Strait capacity over the…

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What reports or advice, if any, does the Minister hold on the total economic cost to New Zealand of reduced Cook Strait ferry capacity between 2024 and 2029, and what estimate for the total sum did that contain?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 31 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 31 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 31 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 31 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 31 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What papers, if any, did the Minister take to Cabinet during the week beginning 31 August 2026, by title and date?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What aides-mémoire, briefings, memos, notes, reports, or any other advice, if any, has the Minister or their Office received during the week beginning 31 August 2026, listed by agency, title and date received?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What aides-mémoire, briefings, memos, notes, reports, or any other advice, if any, has the Minister or their Office received during the week beginning 31 August 2026, listed by agency, title and date received?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What aides-mémoire, briefings, memos, notes, reports, or any other advice, if any, has the Minister or their Office received during the week beginning 31 August 2026, listed by agency, title and date received?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What aides-mémoire, briefings, memos, notes, reports, or any other advice, if any, has the Minister or their Office received during the week beginning 31 August 2026, listed by agency, title and date received?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What aides-mémoire, briefings, memos, notes, reports, or any other advice, if any, has the Minister or their Office received during the week beginning 31 August 2026, listed by agency, title and date received?

Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

What aides-mémoire, briefings, memos, notes, reports, or any other advice, if any, has the Minister or their Office received during the week beginning 31 August 2026, listed by agency, title and date received?