Dredging contractor announced for $127m Cairns Shipping Development Project

The contract to undertake dredging and construction works on the $127 million Cairns Shipping Development Project in Queensland has been awarded, marking a new major milestone on the project that will deliver vital channel upgrades to the Port of Cairns.

The dredging and construction contract has been awarded to RN Dredging Pty Ltd - a subsidiary of Rohde Nielsen A/S. The winning contractor will be working with Hall Contracting for this project.

This contract award will now enable the dredging of approximately 1 million cubic metres of sediment from the existing navigation channel at the port and then transport the material to two land sites.

“RN will now team up with Australian-owned Hall Contracting (HC), the largest Queensland-based dredging company to carry out dredging works in the dry season.

“HC will undertake all civil, earthworks and pipeline construction and operation of the two land-based dredge placement sites drawing on regional providers of marine and construction services and supplies,” Ports North Chairman Russell Beer said.

Source: Ports North

The Cairns Shipping Development Project will include:

• Dredging to widen and deepen the existing outer shipping channel - Trinity Inlet

• Widening and deepening of the existing inner harbour channel and Crystal swing basin

• Establishment of a new shipping swing basin - Smith’s Creek swing basin - to enable future expansion of the HMAS Cairns Navy base

• Placement of material from capital dredging on land

• Upgrade of the existing cruise shipping wharves - Trinity wharves 1 to 5

• Partial demolition of wharf 6 to allow for extension to wharf 5

• Relocation and installation of new navigational aids

“By upgrading our port and allowing larger cruise ships to visit the region, it means visitors from across the world will be spending their dollars on local businesses and restaurants,” Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt said.

This project is anticipated to support up 800 jobs during construction - 195 direct full time jobs annually - as well as 1,535 direct full time jobs a year once the upgraded port is up and running.

Dredging works are expected to commence during the 2019 dry season and will go on for about 12 months.

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Source: Queensland Government (1, 2); Cairns Post