Locals wade in with their opinions over Picton ferry terminal upgrade plan

Sunday, 15 December 2019

People listened to officials from NZTA and KiwiRail at the meeting, hearing their plans for the ferry terminal and purchasing of new ships.

Picton foreshore businesses are wondering how they will be affected by proposed multimillion-dollar upgrades to the ferry terminal.

The changes have been floated to accommodate new, larger ferries, expected to be on the water by 2024, catering for more passengers and cargo, as well as new regulations around ship emissions.

The scale of the project and whether it would impact several foreshore businesses was a hot topic at a consultation meeting in Picton on Thursday, attended by over 130 people.

Legacy Fishing Charter owner Stephen Fishburn welcomes the change, but says he is concerned about his livelihood.

Legacy Fishing Charter owner Stephen Fishburn operated next to the ferry terminal, where new design plans showed berths for cruise ships could end up.

The plan shows where the changes could happen if the new ferry terminal does get built.

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Over the summer his business would solely come from cruise ships, but right location was crucial, he said.

'At the moment there is nowhere that is viable for us to go,' he said, unless they moved the business to Waikawa and lost their prime position.

'People want to go out and enjoy the Sounds, but we should be in the locations that help our business and [where we are] approachable by foot traffic,' Fishburn said.

'I am for the cruise ship being there, I think it's a great idea, but I think they need to think about the little guys as well … we just need the space to fit in, that's all.'

KiwiRail's Interislander general manager Walter Rushbrook said the project was in its every early stages of planning, and the final design had not been confirmed yet.

More than 130 people packed out the Picton Library for the meeting.

Affinity Cruises general manager Vicky Maitland said she was prepared for progress and the changes as long as it was well managed and well communicated.

'We believe that it's going to be a positive thing for Marlborough as a whole, but open communication is needed and I think that's what they are trying to do at the moment,' Maitland said.

KiwiRail, in conjunction with NZTA, Port Marlborough, and Marlborough District Council (MDC), was initiating the four-year plan to replace three old Interislander ferries with much bigger ships.

Rushbrook said $35 million had been allocated as 'seed money' from Budget 2019, under Vote Transport, to 'advance the design and procurement of the new Interislander ferries and associated terminal redevelopments.'

The entire cost of the project was still unknown and it was unclear where the total funds would come from, he said.

“This funding has allowed us to establish the project team, appoint naval architects, ship brokers and various consultants to assist in the design and procurement of the new ships and the initial concepts for the terminals in Picton and Wellington.'

The national railway network was worth $1.5 billion to the country's economy, and the project was not just important for the region, but for the country as a whole, he said.

Port Marlborough chief executive Rhys Welbourn said earlier this week, 'this project has the potential to be huge, to call it a major project is a vast understatement.'