Hon James Meager
Associate Minister of Transport

The Government is seeking proposals from shipping operators to provide a new supply vessel for the Chatham Islands, Associate Transport Minister James Meager announced today.

“The Government is committed to supporting Chatham Islanders,” Minister Meager says.

“The Chatham Islands’ current supply vessel, the Southern Tiare, is a vital economic lifeline for the community by carrying supplies to the island and livestock back to the mainland.

“However, at 39 years old, the vessel is older than I am, and unfortunately it is nearing the end of its life as a working vessel. It is frequently out of action for maintenance and repairs, causing significant hardship for the community. For example, recent crane failure on the Southern Tiare resulted in a fuel shortage on the islands, requiring rationing of petrol for local residents.”

“Today, the Government has opened tenders to shipping operators who can provide a more reliable and resilient shipping service to replace the Southern Tiare. The new service will need the capability to transport fuel, livestock and general freight to and from Waitangi Port and Pitt Island. Crucially, it will need to provide a regular, reliable and resilient service.”

“A Request for Proposals (RFP) published today on the Government Electronic Tender Service outlines our requirements in full detail.”

“In addition to finding a replacement vessel, we need to determine what improvements to existing port infrastructure are needed to support a new service. This will need to be considered alongside proposals received through the RFP process.”

“Last year, the Government sought information from suppliers who are potentially interested in providing shipping services. This gave us a solid understanding of the market’s capability to service the Chatham Islands’ unique requirements.”

The release of the RFP is the next step in the process and moves us closer to securing a replacement vessel that will service the community for many years to come.”

Go to https://www.gets.govt.nz/MT/ExternalTenderDetails.htm?id=31351880 for more information.

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