Several ferry services in Auckland are being suspended after Fullers360 announced it will no longer operate some routes.
From October 1, changes to Auckland Transport's ferry services and timetables will take place to allow for an accelerated ferry crew training programme amidst staff shortages.
Auckland Transport said ferry services to Birkenhead, Te Onewa Northcote Point, and Bayswater will no longer be operated by Fullers360, and reduced timetables will be put in place for the Gulf Harbour and Half Moon Bay routes.
The training programme is expected to take 14 to 18 months.
Fullers said the changes would help it redistribute its resources to speed up training and development, to get on top of the crew shortage issues.
In a statement, AT executive general manager of public transport services Stacey van der Putten said its focus was minimising the impact on passengers.
"We're working at pace to explore options for an alternative ferry operator to run some services on the Birkenhead, Te Onewa Northcote Point and Bayswater routes.
"The ongoing shortage of qualified ferry crew means it is not possible to reliably run AT's full ferry network and to train meaningful numbers of new ferry crew members at the same time."
Van der Putten said while the changes would be disappointing for affected communities, the training programme would ultimately improve ferry services across the city and build "resilience in the workforce" when full services returned.
"Our teams are exploring options for additional bus services to complement the existing bus routes serving customers travelling from Birkenhead, Te Onewa Northcote Point, and Bayswater, as well as customers travelling off-peak from Gulf Harbour and Half Moon Bay."
According to Fullers360 chief executive Mike Horne, training will help the company progress its staff quickly.
"We have long signalled there is no quick fix to resolving the maritime skills shortage that has impacted Fullers360," Horne said.
"We will be able to progress up to 30 qualified crew to either deckhand or skipper in the next 14-18 months."
Horne believes the maritime ferry industry would see benefits as a result.
"The accelerated training program will additionally provide solutions to New Zealand's shortage of skilled maritime workers through building the future pipeline of New Zealand marine talent."
