Delay In Replacing Cook Strait Ferries Major Risk For Industry And Economy

The first results from the 2025 National Road Freight Survey show that 79 per cent of road freight industry participants agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that "the delay in replacing the Cook Strait ferries is a major risk for the road freight industry and New Zealand economy".

The survey, undertaken by Research NZ on behalf of national road freight association Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand, was open to road freight company owners, managers, drivers and staff across the country. 196 industry participants took part in the survey, that closes at midday today (Monday 31 March).

Transporting New Zealand Advocacy and Policy Lead Billy Clemens says the survey results highlight the importance of the Government’s upcoming announcement on Cook Strait ferry procurement and achieving meaningful progress on getting replacement vessels operating.

"Transporting New Zealand and our members are looking for the forthcoming announcement to provide certainty around the procurement process, and a timeframe for when we can expect replacement vessels and the necessary landside infrastructure.

"We recently met with Minister Peters, the Minister for Rail, and reiterated our position that competition must be maintained across the Cook Strait connection, there must be capacity for the forecast growth in the domestic freight task, and maintaining the frequency of services must be a priority.

"The results of the National Road Freight Survey confirm what we’ve been hearing consistently from our members and industry sector groups - the Cook Strait connection is a real priority for the road freight industry.

"Approximately $30 billion in freight crosses the Strait each year, so it is essential to have a safe and resilient connection between the islands. This is particularly vital for carriers who carry livestock and other time-sensitive freight. It’s also particularly important to the Mainland, with most freight travelling south.

"Back in June 2024, the Ministerial Advisory Group on Future Ferry Services on the Cook Strait recommended that a contract for new ships be signed by 1 October 2024 at the latest, noting this would mitigate the risk that ‘potentially advantageous options could be taken up by other operators and lost to the Crown while KiwiRail works to settle the HMD [iReX] claim’.

"The road freight industry needs to see some real progress being made on procurement."

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