THE POWER OF A 5000-TONNE SHIP LIFT
Tucked behind the iconic sugar wharves in the Cairns Maritime Precinct is a business doing mighty things.
Tropical Reef Shipyard is a privately-owned, world-class shipyard that services all kinds of vessels from Defence to commercial, with a 3000-tonne lift capacity.
This week TRS director Robert Downing and business development manager Andrew Wagner welcomed Advance Cairns CEO Jennifer Spilsbury for a tour of their facility. (We’re loving the French beret hard hat look Jen!)
TRS, one of three shipyards in the precinct, employs up to 250 people a day across a broad range of skills from naval architects to painters and cleaners.
What would a Common User Facility (CUF) including a 5000-tonne shiplift, mean to them and the Cairns region?
“We could double in five years,” Robert said.
“The CUF is part of our expansion plan.”
Simply put, the CUF has wide-reaching tentacles meaning jobs for generations to come and economic stability for a region that has historically relied on the tourism industry, which is susceptible to unpredictability.
Tropical Reef has the heaviest lift in the precinct, a 135m long dry rail slipway and full channel depth right at its “shore-step”.
What it doesn’t have, is more space to grow.
“We see the CUF as having a very important part to play in the prosperity of Cairns and the growth of the precinct,” Andrew said.
That’s why Robert and Andrew choose to be part of Advance Cairns.
“We see the importance of Advance Cairns’ support and being able to share the vision of the shipyard and the precinct. They’re able to access government and facilitate access to those people,” Robert said.
“It’s about being part of the conversation and supporting community.”
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