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Andrew Dickens: Why the problem with the Interislander isn't the boats · Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Cabinet today and the promise this week is that we're
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: going to get a ferry plan. Apparently there might be
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: an announcement on Wednesday. So it's been a year since
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: Nicola Willis pulled the plug on the Kiwi Rail's ferry plan.
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: And it wasn't because the Fairies were so expensive. In fact,
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  Speaker 1: the Fairies were a really good deal. It was because
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: of the cost of the port side developments. And I
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: think this is something that gets lost in the whole
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  Speaker 1: debate when we talk about, oh, it's the big chips,
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  Speaker 1: it's the big ships. No, the ships weren't the problem. Really.
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  Speaker 1: The misconception is that the cost was blowing out because
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  Speaker 1: the Fairies were bigger than our previous fleet. So the
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  Speaker 1: biggest factor in the cost blowout was the relocation and
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: the rebuilding of both the Kiwi Rail and Blue Bridge
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: ferries to get them out of an earthquake zone. There
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: was also the need for the new port to have
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: considerable earthquake strengthening. Look where the Wellington port is and
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: how far away it is from the main fault line
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: up TENA Corey Street, right, you need to earthquake strengthen this.
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: Our port's at the moment fall down and they did
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  Speaker 1: last what time during a kaikura, so there's the need
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  Speaker 1: for a considerable earthquake strengthening. Kiwi Rail also wanted a
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: gold plated faery terminal which would last long term, so
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  Speaker 1: that you walk into it and it's like wow, this
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  Speaker 1: is amazing. That's what they wanted. And then finally, on
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  Speaker 1: top of that, the ports needed to be a bit longer.
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  Speaker 1: So from what I've heard so far, it seems as
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: though the government will pick up some second hand boats
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: which actually had more life after them than before them.
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  Speaker 1: But that's what happens when you pick up a second
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  Speaker 1: hand boat. But that's not really an issue unless, of course,
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: they start falling apart as soon as we get them.
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: So when we look at this plan that comes out
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  Speaker 1: this week, we need to be looking at the port
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  Speaker 1: rather than the boats. Will it be relocated, will it
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  Speaker 1: be strong enough to bear up to the inevitable earthquake,
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: Will the terminal be comfy or will the terminal be
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: a chili shed? And how much do you want to
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: spend on this? Kiwi Rail was arrogant thinking that the
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: government will provide them with their billions on the essay,
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  Speaker 1: So a blank check. But so the government wasn't wrong
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  Speaker 1: to say I hoe, But the government now has to
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: prove that their plan is not just a second hand
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: option that will continue to provide headaches in the years
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: to come because the indisputable factors. We are a country
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  Speaker 1: that's mostly spread over two islands with twenty six miles
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  Speaker 1: of very treacherous water between them, and so the infrastructure
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  Speaker 1: that connects the two of us together is absolutely one
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  Speaker 1: hundred percent critical. So let's see what this plan is
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: coming out on Wednesday. We hope for more from early
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live to news Talks it
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: be from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.