Statement on Maritime New Zealand prosecution of KiwiRail

Attributable to Chief Executive Peter Reidy

We have been advised of Maritime New Zealand’s decision to prosecute KiwiRail Limited over the Kaitaki loss of power incident in January last year.  

We assure all our passengers and staff that their safety is and will always be our highest priority. 

The safe and reliable operation of the Interislander service is an absolutely non-negotiable requirement for KiwiRail Board and management. Following the Kaitaki incident, we conducted a full review of all of our asset management practices, using global experts to ensure we are running the Interislander to world’s best practice standards.

We are pleased that over the recent busy Christmas period the Interislander ferries have operated with 100 per cent asset reliability and 91.4 per cent on-time performance. For comparison, these are levels matching even the best operators in the global aviation industry. 

As this matter is now before the Courts, it is not appropriate for us to make any further comment on the prosecution.