July 17, 2026

“Shareholding Ministers’ approval of a range of infrastructure delivery, funding, asset ownership and commercial arrangements is a welcome endorsement of the huge collaborative effort by all partner agencies to get to this point,” said Chris Mackenzie, Chair of Ferry Holdings.

“It’s exciting for everyone involved that we’re now officially heading into the delivery phase of the programme as major works get underway at both ports and we enter the final stages of the ships’ design before construction begins in May 2027.”

Mr Mackenzie reiterated that Ferry Holdings and its partners remain sharply focused on delivering the rail-enabled ferries on schedule in 2029 and within the $1.7 billion funding envelope approved by Cabinet, using a maximum re-use, minimum viable value-for-money approach to port upgrades.

“The new rail-enabled ships are a landmark investment in inter-island connectivity and will bring resilience, reliability and sustainability to one of New Zealand’s most important transport corridors and one of its iconic journeys,” he said.

”We look forward to continuing to work closely with our partners to deliver modern, safe, reliable and sustainable ferry services for New Zealand in 2029.”

For media enquiries:
media@ferryholdings.co.nz

Media Pack 17 July 2026
Downloadable Assets – Ferry Holdings