As previously indicated ( link), Port Marlborough is working closely with KiwiRail and other project partners, on the wind-down of the iReX project,
following the government funding announcement in December. The wind-down agreement has now been agreed in terms of the
final works of the project being closed.
Our teams have worked with KiwiRail on the iReX project for many years now, and while the news to wind down the project
was disappointing, we are continuing to collaborate with the Ministerial Advisory Group, Ministry of Transport, and
KiwiRail as we navigate the way forward to ensure the inter-island connection for New Zealand.Old Terminal Building
The demolition of the old ferry terminal building will now be going ahead as planned over the coming months, and Port
Marlborough will be leading the work to reconfigure this site.
The terminal building was built in the 1960s for the Aramoana passenger and freight service and is owned by Port
Marlborough. It has served the port and our region well and has seen millions of passengers pass through over the years.
It has now reached the end of its life and has not been maintained to the usual high standard over recent years as we
were working towards its demolition as part of the iReX project.
The demolition will take place over the next few months, and the site will be made ready for future port operations.Temporary Terminal Building
We can confirm that the temporary terminal building located on Auckland Street remains a temporary building and will
remain in its current location until 2029.
Ferry Terminal Car Park
The ferry terminal car park which is located on Port Marlborough owned land, had been reconfigured in recent months in
anticipation of the iReX construction works.
As the construction in this area will not be proceeding imminently, our teams will now work on restoring the carpark
area to ensure its suitability for short and long-term parking, buses and for our community and visitors to our region.Number One Wharf
The maintenance of Port Marlborough’s "Number One" (Interislander) wharf had been reduced in anticipation of it being
demolished as part of the iReX project. Port Marlborough will resume responsibility for the maintenance programme for
this wharf, ensuring the infrastructure will provide reliable service until 2029, before which time we will have a
greater understanding of any new interisland ferry requirements.Thank you
Port Marlborough would like to thank our port customers, and wider community for their patience while these works are
progressed.
We also express our appreciation to the individuals from the iReX team at KiwiRail for their eight-year collaboration.
Their dedication to securing a resilient, long-term service for the Interislander and their proactive engagement with
our stakeholders and community has been appreciated.
Despite the iReX project not moving forward as planned, Port Marlborough remains committed to working in partnership
with the government and KiwiRail to find innovative solutions for the Cook Strait connection, ensuring we are prepared
for the future.