The Government has today announced the company that will construct a new Chatham Islands supply vessel to replace its ageing ship.
The 76-metre vessel will be built as a joint venture between McCallum Bros Ltd. and Nova Marine Carriers, Associate Transport Minister James Meager has announced.
“Contract negotiations will ensure the Chathams have a secure, reliable, long-term service which maintains or exceeds current levels, and has capacity to grow alongside the Island,” he said.
“This represents a major step in the progress of a replacement supply vessel, which is a vital economic and community lifeline for the Chatham Islands.
“At nearly 40 years old, the current Southern Tiare is older than I am and is nearing the end of its commercial life. Increasing unreliability and high maintenance costs have created significant hardship for a community which relies on it to import and export critical supplies.”
Meager said the McCallum Bros and Nova Marine’s proposal “ensures a reliable service which can be scaled-up to support future increased demand”.
“It also gave us the greatest confidence a new ship can be delivered in-budget before the current vessel retires, without substantial upgrades required to existing infrastructure.”
“Due to the unreliability of the Southern Tiare we’ve seen examples of petrol running out, diesel supplies nearly exhausted, and livestock unable to be moved resulting in widespread culls. This deeply impacts livelihoods and wellbeing and must be resolved.
“This new service will support the Chatham’s economy, particularly fishing, farming, and tourism, and ensure essential supplies continue to reach the community for at least the next two decades.”
The new vessel is expected to be operational by 2027.
