Dr Stephen Grice: CB Port Limited Spokesperson on the pitch for the North South Express ferry link

A new pitch has been made for a two-hour ferry link between the North and South Islands. 

The ‘North South Express’ would see a new port built at Clifford Bay, near Blenheim, through a public-private partnership. 

The plan proposes a multi-use terminal, with no speed restrictions, and boosted logistics productivity. 

CB Port Limited Spokesperson Dr Stephen Grice told Mike Hosking they can have the port up and running by 2029 – potentially even earlier.  

He says they’re bringing new engineering and capabilities to the project so the port with a floating wharf can be developed and designed overseas. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
New idea to link the North and South Islands. We've
got to pitch for a two hour fairy link, a
newport built at Clifford Bay, Remember Clifford Bay near Blenham,
multi use terminal, no speed restrictions, boost the logistics and productivity.
Doctor Stephen Gris is the spokesperson for seabee Port Limited
and is with a Stephen Morning, Morning, Mike, good to
be with you. How much government, how much private?

Speaker 2 (00:21):
We can fully finance this privately, but we're agnostic to
what the final capital contributions from the crowd would be. Obviously,
if the crowd wants to make capital contributions to see
it's requirement's met, we're open to that conversation.

Speaker 1 (00:36):
What sort of ships and what are you moving people?
And cheap and rail.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
And what everything? All of the freight that currently goes
between the Cockstrait. We're just going to make it faster
and with higher service levels because the ships can probably
operate three return sailings a day instead of two.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
So this is directly taking on into island.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
No no anything, but we see Andre Island there is
you know, potentially a foundation customer.

Speaker 1 (01:09):
In what way? So what are you telling me? I'm
standing at Wellington. I've got a ticket. I can buy
a ticket on your ship ring and buy a ticket
on the Intero island. How's that not competition?

Speaker 2 (01:18):
It is competition. We're an open axious port, so we're
open to all ferry operators to be able to operate
out of our port. So we were not inscriminatory, right.
You know, we obviously need customers, but we see Kiwi
Rail particularly as a foundation customer.

Speaker 1 (01:32):
You reckon they would because we've been here before. Those
of us have been around a while. Clifford Bay is
not new in this. I mean we've looked at Clifford
Bay and they rightly or wrongly, are not going there.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
We know they would. We've had discussions. We haven't had
any commercially finalized discussions, but our early discussions with the
miss port existed, they would be there.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
What's the timeframe?

Speaker 2 (01:57):
We can have this port up and running by twenty
twenty nine. In fact, we think we'll be ahead. It
could even be potentially ahead of that because we're bringing
new engineering and capabilities that we can construct this port
with a floating dwarfs that can be designed and built overseas,
and the operational in new Zealand by twenty twenty seven.

Speaker 1 (02:17):
Cruise ships not the intention.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
But it's not out of the it's not out of
the realms of possibility. But we see cruise ships more
being the realm of pacton because of the natural environment
and would maximize the future of the environment and collegy
and tourism in that area.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
Okay, well, I wish you the best with it, Stephen
and doctor Stephen gris see be port limited. See where
that goes.

Speaker 2 (02:45):
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