Photo: File image / Getty
A new poll has found close to half of New Zealanders want the new Interislander ferries to be rail-enabled.
The government is still considering replacement options after ditching Labour’s iRex project citing a large cost blowout, in particular from upgrading port infrastructure, taking the pricetag upwards of $3 billion.
Horizon Research has found 48 percent of people preferred the new ferries to be ‘rail enabled’ – capable of taking roll on, roll off rail carriages.
Meanwhile, its poll found 28 percent of people preferred non-rail enabled ferries – which required rail freight to be transferred to trucks for crossings.
On ownership, only 18 per cent of people wanted KiwiRail ferries to be privatised, with 34 per cent wanting KiwiRail to keep operating Cook Strait services.
Seventy-seven percent of Green Party voters, 63 percent of Te Pāti Māori, 58 percent of Labour, 54 percent of New Zealand First, and 51 percent of National Party voters supported rail-enabled ferries.
Thirty-nine percent of ACT Party supporters wanted rail enabled, and 31 percent non rail enabled.
The government has announced it will establish a company to procure two new vessels.
It is still not clear, however, what the cost of the ferries will be, who will build them, or whether they will be rail-enabled.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is the new Minister for Rail, with options to be taken to Cabinet in March for decisions.
Horizon self-commissioned the survey of 1025 respondents aged 18 plus between 16-21 December 2024.
The total sample is weighted on age, gender, ethnicity, region, personal income and Party Vote 2023 to match the adult population.
The survey has a maximum margin of error of plus 3.1 percent.