30343 (2026). Tangi Utikere to the Minister for Rail

30343 (2026). Tangi Utikere to the Minister for Rail: What are the principal risks currently identified to delivering the Cook Strait ferry replacement programme on time and on budget, if any, and what advice has the Minister received on the likelihood of the end-of-2029 in-service date being met?

Rt Hon Winston Peters: To the extent that information can be disclosed, we have done so. All infrastructure projects carry risks associated to scope, cost, and timing. In this project, we have instituted a competent board and maintained tight control on scope. The contrast point is iReX which, under the previous Labour Government, went from $1.45 billion when approved in June 2021 to Treasury warning the previous Government it was on course to $4 billion. The primary driver of this was a series of decisions to add new scope into the project, ancillary to two ferries and marine infrastructure. Given this, we are maintaining tight control on scope as the taxpayer expects us to do. As such, the programme remains on time (i.e. completion for new ferries to enter service in 2029) and within budget (i.e. taxpayer contribution will be no more than $1.704 billion).