Gold Coast marina’s super-sized expansion plan to cater for superyacht boom
THE largest marine facility of its kind in the southern hemisphere is charting a course to double in size.
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THE largest marine facility of its kind in the southern hemisphere is charting a course to double in size.
Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard at Coomera has unveiled plans for a $100 million-plus expansion with the development of an adjacent 20ha site.
The influx of larger vessels to local waters and booming Asia Pacific marine sector have prompted the move to anchor its reputation as a leading marine refit and repair destination.
Gold Coast City Marina chief executive officer Trenton Gay said the expansion would be an important evolution for the city’s ever-growing marine capabilities.
“This project is an exciting coup for the Gold Coast’s ever-expanding marine industry
which is developing a global reputation for being a leading destination for marine refit
and repair within the Asia Pacific region,” Mr Gay said.
“Submissions for this site have been lodged with authorities and once approvals are
in place, construction for the first stage will be imminent.”
Mr Gay said with foreign flagged vessels now able to clear customs and immigration on the Gold Coast, larger boats were utilising the marina’s facilities.
He said demand for its refit and repair services was growing exponentially each year with its more than 80 on-site businesses employing over 700 highly skilled marine contractors and servicing vessels of all sizes including 70m-plus superyachts.
“We expect boats of this size and larger to increase in numbers therefore our refit capabilities need to accommodate these,” Mr Gay said.
Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard has been open since 2000. It is owned and operated by marine industry stalwarts, the Gay family.
On completion of its proposed Stage 2 expansion, the facility will occupy a total of 37.5ha within the Gold Coast’s 250ha marine precinct at Coomera.
Five years in the planning, it will increase the facility’s marine refit lifting capacity by 400 per cent.
“Once completed, Gold Coast City Marina will be able to further accommodate the growing size of our domestic fleet and those coming to the South Pacific region — including
superyachts, wide beam catamarans and sailing yachts — thanks to groundbreaking
new facilities comprising a 1000-tonne capacity lift and undercover refit and repair
factories,” Mr Gay said.