Two Territory firms in running to build $400 million ship lift facility at East Arm

TWO Northern Territory companies are in the running to build Darwin’s much-anticipated $400 million ship lift facility at East Arm. See the FULL LIST of the firms to make the SHORT LIST

From left, Member for Fong Lim, Mark Monaghan, Deputy NT Chief Minister Nicole Manison, Assistant Minister for Northern Australia Michelle Landry and NT Senator Sam McMahon at Parliament House with one of the five concept designs for Darwin’s $400 million ship lift. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford

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NORTHERN Territory companies Sitzler and Territoria Civil are in the running to build the $400 million ship lift facility at East Arm.

They are among five companies short-listed as part of the expression of interest process.

The three interstate companies short-listed are WA based Clough Projects Australia Pty Ltd; McConnell Dowell Constructors (Aust) Pty Ltd; and Watpac Construction Pty Ltd.

From left, Deputy NT Chief Minister Nicole Manison, Assistant Minister for Northern Australia Michelle Landry, NT Senator Sam McMahon and Member for Fong Lim, Mark Monaghan at Parliament House with some of the five concept designs for Darwin’s $400 million ship lift. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford

The competition for local companies will be fierce with Clough Projects Australia Pty Ltd featuring its technical support and constructability input during front-end engineering design works for the Darwin Ship Lift and Marine Industries Project on its website.

McConnell Dowell’s Australian headquarters is in Melbourne, but it has operations in the Middle East, South East Asia and New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Watpac is a national construction and property development company headquartered in Brisbane but with offices spread across Australia.

Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison said the project will support more than 100 jobs during construction, with 400 ongoing new jobs and inject $260 million into the Northern Territory economy every year.

“We had huge response to the expressions of interest,” Ms Manison said.

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“We are on track to have construction up and running at the end of next year, making sure we have it ready for when the Australian navy’s new Arafura-class offshore patrol vessels come online in 2024.”

Ms Manison said the 103m ship lift will be capable of servicing large vessels from industries including offshore petroleum, fishing, pearling, Defence and Border Force – being used to lift vessels out of the water so they can be serviced, repaired or stored, including for safety during cyclones.

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Assistant Minister for Northern Australia Michelle Landry and CLP senator for the NT, Sam McMahon, said the $300 million North Australia Infrastructure Facility loan that has made the ship lift a reality was recognition of the strategic need for this ship lift in Darwin and the help it will provide developing further economic opportunities in the north.