Politics 🗳️ NZ Politics

[Noitall]

So much for the long awaited decision on the ferries. Non event.
Winstone is the new Minister for Rail. Wow
Wasn't he involved with the signing off of the IREX deal.
Still nothing concrete and we Kiwis kick the can even further down the road.
No wonder infrastructure projects keep rising in cost

Quick thinking chap has set up a clothing range with nicky no boats as the logo with a cartoon face and a broken lined shape of a boat with a question mark inside. I’m a fan of the greyhound ban but this seems like it was just an anti labour policy to cancel what was in the pipeline. The fact that costing is being kept confidential is an indication that its potentially not going to be looked on favourably

 

[John Nick]

Quick thinking chap has set up a clothing range with nicky no boats as the logo with a cartoon face and a broken lined shape of a boat with a question mark inside. I’m a fan of the greyhound ban but this seems like it was just an anti labour policy to cancel what was in the pipeline. The fact that costing is being kept confidential is an indication that its potentially not going to be looked on favourably

Greyhound decision was probably the right decision for the right reasons
However ill thought out imo.
How do you rehome 4000 approx. animals in 20 months if you are against cruelty.
No response yet to my question about Winston's stance on live animal exports and I am definitely not a greenie

 

[John Nick]

Quick thinking chap has set up a clothing range with nicky no boats as the logo with a cartoon face and a broken lined shape of a boat with a question mark inside. I’m a fan of the greyhound ban but this seems like it was just an anti labour policy to cancel what was in the pipeline. The fact that costing is being kept confidential is an indication that its potentially not going to be looked on favourably

And don't forget about the books looking good and by the time the new ships are delivered we will long be gone. Scenario.

 

[Noitall]

Greyhound decision was probably the right decision for the right reasons
However ill thought out imo.
How do you rehome 4000 approx. animals in 20 months if you are against cruelty.
No response yet to my question about Winston's stance on live animal exports and I am definitely not a greenie

Yeah good point

 

[defensivebomb]

I bet Winnie is looking forward to being wined and dined by various ferry suppliers, as he does his procurement DD and supplier tours

 

[Noitall]

I bet Winnie is looking forward to being wined and dined by various ferry suppliers, as he does his procurement DD and supplier tours

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

He and Seymour not agreeing on this one. They have a bit of a history of some fiery encounters. Will be interesting to watch on with latest polls suggesting Winston wouldn’t be needed in a future coalition. Labour parted ways when they were voted back in with Winston but I wouldn’t be surprised if national would rather go with him than Seymour? I see a letter has been penned to King Charles regarding the treaty principles bill and his feeling towards it. Seems to be bringing more negative headlines than positive ones though yet to learn the King’s feelings towards the issue

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

"But we have been elected to get things rolling."
What 2029?? Hahaha.

The irex project began in 2018 and was canned in December 2023 with the ships barely started and port infrastructure not begun.

Labour took 5 year planning and had a 7+ year timeline which failed miserably due to delivery and costing.

And people worry about Nationals FASTER less than 6 year timeframe, all within the lifespan of the existing fleet?

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2023-12/Project%20iRex%20timeline.pdf

 

[Damo]

The irex project began in 2018 and was canned in December 2023 with the ships barely started and port infrastructure not begun.

Labour took 5 year planning and had a 7+ year timeline which failed miserably due to delivery and costing.

And people worry about Nationals FASTER less than 6 year timeframe, all within the lifespan of the existing fleet?

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2023-12/Project%20iRex%20timeline.pdf

That is if it all goes to plan of course.
Knowing how things work, would not be surprised if it gets pushed out.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

That is if it all goes to plan of course.
Knowing how things work, would not be surprised if it gets pushed out.

And the BS end of useful life for the existing ferries that was used to justify the upgrade - that then was magically recently extended will just get pushed out again…

Personally see this as a bit of an operational non issue. Lots more important stuff to focus on that are more meaningful to our everyday lives. Goods will get to the South Island, while politicians play their political games.

 

[John Nick]

And the BS end of useful life for the existing ferries that was used to justify the upgrade - that then was magically recently extended will just get pushed out again…

Personally see this as a bit of an operational non issue. Lots more important stuff to focus on that are more meaningful to our everyday lives. Goods will get to the South Island, while politicians play their political games.

I see it more of kicking the can further down the road.Sooner or later these vessels will become unsafe.
So while we can the greyhound industry for cruelty we expect passengers & crew to be subjected to old sometimes unsafe ships.
Plenty of examples without looking too far.
TBF Rail & ferries in NZ have been raped & pillaged by previous Govts on both sides & a few private individuals have made their fortunes out the rubble thats been left for taxpayers to stump up .Thats basically why we are where we are now.

 

[Inruin]

And the BS end of useful life for the existing ferries that was used to justify the upgrade - that then was magically recently extended will just get pushed out again…

Personally see this as a bit of an operational non issue. Lots more important stuff to focus on that are more meaningful to our everyday lives. Goods will get to the South Island, while politicians play their political games.

My only hope is they train up the crews on how to use autopilot correctly.

 

[John Nick]

My only hope is they train up the crews on how to use autopilot correctly.

We are likely to get vessels with only sextants & stars for navigation ,dont worry about auto pilots.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

I see it more of kicking the can further down the road.Sooner or later these vessels will become unsafe.
So while we can the greyhound industry for cruelty we expect passengers & crew to be subjected to old sometimes unsafe ships.
Plenty of examples without looking too far.
TBF Rail & ferries in NZ have been raped & pillaged by previous Govts on both sides & a few private individuals have made their fortunes out the rubble thats been left for taxpayers to stump up .Thats basically why we are where we are now.

I honestly don’t know if rail is the furure?

Shipping should be increased. We will have self driving trucks going destination to destination. I can’t see rail as the future. We’re closing all the big bulk industries, stopping manufacturing, closing the secondary industries and moving to niche smaller quantity, better quality with lots of decentralised start/ end points. All heading away from rail.

Shouldn’t we be using shipping rather than rail from Auckland/Wellington to Christchurch? Ban rail on the ferries?

Personally would have gone for 3 smaller ships and use private more for the channel crossing. Gives more redundancy that 2 big ships where you are stuffed if ones auto pilot isn’t switched off.

 

[Inruin]

Personally would have gone for 3 smaller ships and use private more for the channel crossing. Gives more redundancy that 2 big ships where you are stuffed if ones auto pilot isn’t switched off.

Only issues with smaller ships is the weather and amount of freight they carry. Larger ships can handle poor weather better than smaller ones so you might find more sailings are cancelled with the smaller vessels.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Only issues with smaller ships is the weather and amount of freight they carry. Larger ships can handle poor weather better than smaller ones so you might find more sailings are cancelled with the smaller vessels.

I was more meaning 3 similar to what we have now rather than 2 ‘mega’ ferries.

 

[John Nick]

I honestly don’t know if rail is the furure?

Shipping should be increased. We will have self driving trucks going destination to destination. I can’t see rail as the future. We’re closing all the big bulk industries, stopping manufacturing, closing the secondary industries and moving to niche smaller quantity, better quality with lots of decentralised start/ end points. All heading away from rail.

Shouldn’t we be using shipping rather than rail from Auckland/Wellington to Christchurch? Ban rail on the ferries?

Personally would have gone for 3 smaller ships and use private more for the channel crossing. Gives more redundancy that 2 big ships where you are stuffed if ones auto pilot isn’t switched off.

The problem is O/Seas shipping companies are only interested in larger cargo lots.
Also ships are being built larger which comes back again to infrastructure & access to our secondary ports.
Maybe if we had our own shipping company..

The major problem as I see it is we now dont have any sort of planning. We are back to Winstone who was directly involved in the original IRex order.Oh the irony!

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Maybe if we had our own shipping company..

That would require vision and leadership

 

[Inruin]

I was more meaning 3 similar to what we have now rather than 2 ‘mega’ ferries.

yes agreed. I wonder how much freight is currently crossing the cook strait and how much of that is in shipping containers and by rail. Rail would be fairly cost prohibitive for a lot of freight that goes north to south and vice versa I would have thought. Certainly some reports when replacement vessels were looked at earlier seemed to suggest that.

 

[John Nick]

That would require vision and leadership

We used to have 2 shipping companies

 

[John Nick]

yes agreed. I wonder how much freight is currently crossing the cook strait and how much of that is in shipping containers and by rail. Rail would be fairly cost prohibitive for a lot of freight that goes north to south and vice versa I would have thought. Certainly some reports when replacement vessels were looked at earlier seemed to suggest that.

I have already posed 4000 crossings per year approx.
Also 40000 rail wagons per year.