56361 (2025). Tangi Utikere to the Minister for Rail

56361 (2025). Tangi Utikere to the Minister for Rail: How is schedule risk being coordinated across vessel construction, port infrastructure upgrades, linkspan installation, and rail connectivity to ensure everything is ready when the new ferries arrive?

Rt Hon Winston Peters: The Ferry Holdings board oversees business, financial, assurance, and risk management plans, meeting monthly to ensure programme efficiency and compliance with the core objective of the new ferries entering service in 2029. They are developing an integrated programme that coordinates ship, port, and infrastructure workstreams, providing stakeholders with a clear view of the critical path for the ferry replacement programme and supporting communication and decision-making. This programme will be updated regularly as timelines mature, with recent port development updates from Port Marlborough NZ and Centreport expected to resolve coordination challenges.