2022 May June Marina world

Brisbane yard expansion
wins Council approval
NEWS FOCUS
AUSTRALIA: Brisbane City Council has given approval for a $200 million expansion at Rivergate Marina & Shipyard. The
move will bring Brisbane a major step closer to becoming the premier superyacht destination in the Asia Pacific region
and will give the country a strategic location for the refit and maintenance of military and commercial vessels.
current necessity for some vessel
classes to be serviced elsewhere in
Australia, such as Perth or Adelaide,
due to a lack of lifting capacity.”
The multi award-winning Rivergate
Marina and Shipyard was established
in 2006 and is now recognised as one
of the top three superyacht shipyards
in the world. It is widely respected for
its skilled trades, safe environment and
warm hospitality.
The proposed expansion of the
internationally acclaimed maritime
precinct is forecast to dramatically
increase superyacht visits to Australia
and provide new capability to service
Australian Defence Force and
Australian Border Force vessels. It is
seen as a catalyst for an economic and
employment bonanza for Queensland’s
marine and tourism industries.
Key elements of the expansion
include a $35 million state-of-theart
shiplift, capable of lifting vessels
weighing up to 3,000 tonnes and of
90m (295ft) in length, new hardstand
space, sheds, and berthing to service
multiple large vessels at the same time.
Rivergate will also become a Trade
Centre for Excellence with plans for a
new five-storey purpose-built facility
featuring training rooms, offices, a café,
world-class crew accommodation and
crew recreation facilities (right).
Upon completion, the expansion
would generate an estimated 2,000
new jobs for marine and tourism
sectors, inject close to $1 billion into the
Queensland economy each year, and
ensure the region’s maritime industry is
ready for the 2032 Olympic Games.
Rivergate director, Tom Hill,
welcomed the development approval,
which he said recognised the project’s
potential to support a range of
industries within Queensland and
bolster Australia’s sovereign capability
amid increasing global security
tensions.
“This approval means our expansion
is now shovel ready and just waiting on
government funding support to get
under way,” he says.
He believes the project represents
a step change for the maritime
industry that would make it possible
for an estimated 60 additional
superyachts to visit Australian
waters each year. Especially
as Brisbane is already an ideal
location for servicing and repairing
superyachts.
“This expansion would provide
owners and captains of large
recreational vessels with the
assurance that world-class
facilities are available for
both routine and unplanned
maintenance works while they
are cruising in our region,”
he notes. “It will also fill a
much-needed gap in Defence
and commercial vessel
maintenance on Australia’s
east coast, eliminating the
Rivergate is also a customs
clearance marina and offers deep
water access on all tides, near-perfect
weather for year-round operations, and
easy access to capital city services,
including the 24-hour Brisbane
International Airport only ten minutes
away.
www.marinaworld.com – May/June 2022 19