CentrePort conducts underwater inspections after Interislander ferry Aratere hits Wellington gangway

“CentrePort is today proactively inspecting the bridge and associated structures from a vessel and underwater to identify any potential damage that is not visible,” the port said in a statement.

It is the latest in a series of incidents involving the Interislander fleet, including the Aratere which suffered a steering failure on June 21 and ran aground in Picton shortly afterwards. It only returned to full service late last month.

Interislander executive general manager Duncan Roy said the cause of yesterday’s incident was still under investigation.

Repairs on the Aratere’s stern are progressing well, he said.

“We need to install new surfacing and then get the repair approved. We will be running additional sailings to manage capacity if necessary and are contacting customers directly.”

Roy expected Aratere to return to service over the weekend.

Maritime NZ said it was working to gather further information about what happened.

“This information will guide any further action we may take following this incident,” the maritime watchdog said in a statement.

On Tuesday, crossings on board the Aratere were cancelled due to a fault discovered during pre-departure checks.

Roy said to the Herald The breakdown was due to a technical problem involving a pump.

It was set in time for crossings to resume at 4:30 p.m. that day.

Transport Minister Simeon Brown said KiwiRail needed to improve its offering, which is why shareholder ministers have renewed the state-owned company’s board.

Asked if he was tearing his hair out over KiwiRail, Brown replied: “Well, yes.”

KiwiRail has come under intense scrutiny in recent months after plans to replace its ageing ferry fleet with two mega ferries were scrapped, with the government refusing to fund a $1.47 billion outlay for port infrastructure needed to accommodate the larger vessels.

The government has not yet announced a new plan to replace the fleet.

Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based journalist with a focus on local government, transport and earthquakes. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a radio journalist.