Shipyards at war warning

MAYOR Bob Manning fears Cairns’ shipyards will lose valuable business, with the Northern Territory Government prepared to fund a $100 million ship heavy lift facility in Darwin.

The equipment will be able to lift vessels weighing more than 400 tonnes and more than 90m long from the water on to land, outstripping the capacity in Cairns of 400 tonnes and 60m.

Mr Manning said it was “a great initiative” for Darwin at the expense of Cairns.

“It’s disappointing that our State Government isn’t being as progressive as this,” he said.

He said he understood Norship Marine was currently ser- vicing up to 10 patrol boats and customs vessels in its Portsmith yards, work now under threat from Darwin.

“I think they are saying ‘We’ll grab Cairns’ business. We have six Armidale patrol boats. Why send them to Cairns when we can do it here?’,” he said.

“The issue does pose a threat to our shipyards. But I’d like to know what is their business case and the wisdom of it.”

NT Chief Minister Adam Giles said his government was prepared to invest up to $100 million from the Darwin Port lease proceeds for the infrastructure.

“The facility will be designed to accommodate boats more than 90m in length, including the new fleet of patrol vessels currently being procured by the Defence Force,” he said.

“A ship lift facility in Darwin would allow defence ships to be serviced here instead of being transported to Perth or Cairns for repairs and maintenance works.”

Queensland Treasurer and Mulgrave MP Curtis Pitt said a similar facility had been previously considered for Cairns.

But he said it would require “significant” Federal Government funding, like the Darwin proposal.

“If there was justification for a facility anywhere in the north, it should be in Cairns,” Mr Pitt said.

He said the Government continued to work with the industry and Ports North.