Court rules on Noakes Shipyard dry dock expansion appeal against North Sydney Council

A north shore shipyard’s long-running legal stoush to build a $5.8 million floating dry dock in Sydney Harbour has been determined after a two-year battle with residents and a local council.

A north shore shipyard has lost a long-running legal stoush over plans to build a multimillion-dollar dry dock in Sydney Harbour after opposition from North Sydney Council and claims the facility would become a “monolithic” eyesore.

Residents have welcomed a Land and Environment Court decision to reject an appeal by Stannards Marine to build an 11.5m tall floating dry dock in Berrys Bay.

The proposed $5.8 million development was to be located next to the existing Noakes Shipyard, operated by Stannards Marine since the 1980s, and would have allowed for the maintenance and repair of boats weighing up to 750 tonnes.

The floating dry dock would have been the largest in Sydney’s north and allowed for 12 vessels to be hauled on and off the facility for maintenance and repair works each year.

Stannards Marine said the “much-needed maritime facility” would have serviced commercial and government vessels and ensured the industrial working waterfront of McMahons Point “remains for this purpose.”

A concept plan of the floating dry dock.

But both North Sydney Council and the Sydney North Planning Panel refused the proposal in 2020, finding it was not in the public interest and had potential impacts on air quality, noise and disturbance of hazardous materials.

Stannards Marine lodged an appeal against the decision to the Land and Environment Court which rejected the appeal in a long-awaited decision handed down on Monday.

North Sydney Council opposed the development, partly due to its size.

Court commissioner Brian Preston found the floating dry dock “would cause high landscape character impacts and high visual impacts” and was “unacceptable” under state planning laws.

During the court proceedings, the council labelled the aesthetic of the dock as “monolithic” that would have a “significant impact” on the character of the surrounding area.

Community groups have welcomed the court’s decision, including Friends of Berrys Bay which said in a statement: “this floating dry dock application would have returned the bay to its dirty industrial past”.

Resident Michael Stevens said the expansion would have been out of character with the area.

“I live overlooking the area and it’s a quiet little bay and no one minds the odd noise from the boat yard but in the last few years the noise has become greater,” he said.

A photo of the site.

“The floating dry dock would have intensified that because they would be working on larger boats and metal boats. The community is not against the boat yard, but it’s the way it’s operated that was the concern.

“Berrys Bay is an iconic site and gets so many visitors. It’s a treasured spot that has to be looked after.”

Resident Michael Stevens welcomed the court’s decision.

Stannards Marine expansion plan also included a proposal to use a shed at the boat yard to carry out repair and maintenance of smaller vessels.

In its judgment on Monday, the court found the shed was worthy of approval but ordered conditions of consent - including an air quality pollution control system - to be completed before a final decision is made.

The floating dry dock proposal previously attracted 517 written submissions from residents along with 25 verbal submissions to the Sydney North Planning Panel.

Stannards Marine was contacted for comment but did not respond at the time of publication.

A spokesman for the company previously told the Mosman Daily the Noakes site was one of a few only remaining boat yards on the harbour and the inclusion of a floating dock would have enabled “better than world’s best practice control for boat maintenance”.