56380 (2025). Tangi Utikere to the Minister for Rail

Written Question

Published date: 17 Dec 2025

Metadata

Document type:	Written Question
Parliament number:	54
Question number:	56380 (2025)
Question asked:	03 Dec 2025
Member asking:	Tangi Utikere
Portfolio:	Minister for Rail
Minister replying:	Rt Hon Winston Peters
Answer received:	11 Dec 2025
Status:	Question Answered
Reply type:	Reply
Document ID:	WQ_56380_2025
Document guid:	1ec24d10-8b9c-4151-a638-3876921ac5e8

56380 (2025). Tangi Utikere to the Minister for Rail: Why was procurement of the new interisland ferries approved without a confirmed final cost, and how does this align with standard Government procurement guidelines?

Rt Hon Winston Peters: We reject the assertion made in this question. The new Interislander ferries have been contracted with a fixed price cost, and the decision to proceed with the wider programme is on the attestation and assurance of the Ferry Holdings board that the full costs will be no less than the $1.7 billion funding allocation. Bear in mind that this figure includes hundreds of millions in built-in contingency.