Tie Up Aratere Now Warns Peters

new-zealand-first-party

Wed Nov 02 2011 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Tie Up Aratere Now Warns Peters

Wednesday, 2 November 2011, 11:08 am
Press Release: New Zealand First Party

New Zealand First has accused the Transport Minister of sleeping through the $53million shambles involving the Cook Strait ferry Aratere and says the ship should be tied up immediately.

Two weeks ago Rt Hon Winston Peters called for the government to explain why the alterations to Aratere have resulted in a dysfunctional shambles.

Since the vessel recently returned from shipyards in Singapore after being lengthened by 30 metres, it has been plagued with problems.

These include problems with loading shorter rail wagons resulting in:

· Aratere bending along the keel,

· Toilets not working properly,

· Freight capacity for trucks being reduced from 22 to 12,

· Aratere breaking down within a few days of arrival.

"More problems have been reported since then.

"The latest is that the fuel system is not working properly and that thousands of litres of fuel appears to have been 'lost'.

"It is important to find out whether this is an equipment malfunction or whether thousands of litres of fuel is floating around Cook Strait somewhere."

Mr Peters says Aratere is regarded as a "dog" on the Wellington waterfront and the travelling public can have little confidence in it.

"We suggest that now the minister has woken up he gets people who know what they are doing to take a good look at the ferry.

"Aratere should be taken out of service and checked thoroughly before there is an accident," says Mr Peters.

ENDS

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