Two potential sites chosen for new Cook Strait ferry terminal to cope with growing demand

Thursday, 22 November 2018

A new Cook Strait ferry terminal in Wellington could be built in Kaiwharawhara (pictured) or Kings Wharf. (File photo)

Two sites have been shortlisted for a new Cook Strait ferry terminal to cope with a forecast growing demand over the next decade.

The multi-user terminal will accommodate both the Bluebridge and Interislander ferries, with annual passenger numbers forecast to rise to 1.7 million a year by 2025.

Kings Wharf, where Bluebridge ferries operate from, is the other site shortlisted. (File photo)

Freight demand is expected to increase by up to 30 per cent by the same year.

Greater Wellington Regional Council, which is leading the joint project along with five other organisations, said the preferred sites for the new terminal were at Kings Wharf and Kaiwharawhara.

Greater Wellington regional councillor Roger Blakeley said the new terminal was a big opportunity for Wellington. (File photo)

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Kings Wharf is where Bluebridge ferries currently operate from, while Interislander ferries operate out of a wharf in Kaiwharawhara.

If the Kaiwharawhara site was chosen, the existing terminal could be upgraded or a completely new one built.

Regional councillor Roger Blakeley, who holds the economic development portfolio, said the new terminal was a huge opportunity for Wellington.

'Creating a more efficient facility with increased capacity would ensure we can benefit from forecasts of substantial Cook Strait growth, with passenger numbers expected to increase by 70 per cent by 2025, accompanied by higher freight volumes.

'If a deal is reached, this could be a critically important project for the city, the region, and New Zealand.”

If the Kaiwharawhara site was chosen, it was possible cruise ships, which currently dock at Aotea Quay, could use the vacated Kings Wharf site, Blakeley said.

There was also potential to use the site of the earthquake-damaged BNZ building on Wellington's waterfront, with that building to be knocked down.

Funding for the project would come primarily from port company CentrePort and the two ferry operators.

While it was still early days and no plans had been drawn up, getting the six partner agencies to agree to develop a proposal was a significant step forward, Blakeley said.

The companies involved are the regional council, Wellington City Council, CentrePort, Kiwi Rail/Interislander, Bluebridge, and the New Zealand Transport Agency.

Plans developed last year by CentrePort for a new terminal at Kaiwharawhara had been scrapped and were not part of the current plans.

Last year, ferries into Cook Strait contributed more than $330 million to the region's economy and supported 3600 jobs.