Chris Mckenzie: Ferry Holdings chair on the Government picking a shipyard to build the new Cook Strait ferries - Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Those in charge of buying our new Interislander ferries are confident a good deal has been reached. 

The yet-to-be-named preferred supplier has signed a letter of intent, and agreed with Ferry Holdings on a fixed price. 

Chair Chris Mckenzie says  they're now at the technical negotiation stage. 

"We now negotiate what's inside that boat - arrangements even down to what sort of sinks we have in the kitchens - and then a final contract will be signed before the end of the year." 

The 200-metre long ferries will have road and rail decks, and room for 1500 passengers each.

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