NORSTA wins Defence Teaming Award at DTC Defence Industry Awards

An all-Australian enterprise based out of Cairns’ port has been recognised for its collaborative efforts to drive defence industry development in the Far North. Find out how they found success.

An all-Australian enterprise based out of Cairns’ port has been recognised for its collaborative efforts to drive defence industry development in the Far North at a defence industry awards night.

NORSTA Maritime, a 100 per cent Australian-owned and operated conglomeration between Norship Marine, Tropical Reef Shipyard, Nova Systems and Secora Australasia, delivers sustainment services at a major scale in Cairns.

From left to right – Stewart Barr, General Manager of NORSTA Maritime Pty Ltd and Maurie McNarn AO, Chairman of NORSTA Maritime with the Defence Teaming Award.

The group has been recognised at the DTC Defence Industry Awards held in Adelaide, winning the Defence Teaming Award, an award that recognises collaboration between organisations to address capability gaps in the defence sector.

Olav Groot, CEO of Norship, said he was proud of the achievement.

“It is a fantastic result that recognises that a 100 per cent Australian-owned and controlled collaborative team can successfully deliver sustainment services to Defence at scale, especially across Northern Australia,” Mr Groot said.

In December, NORSTA Maritime was awarded the Regional Maintenance Provider role for the North East Regional maintenance centre for Defence as part of Plan Galileo.

A $70m, five-year maintenance contract with the Royal Australian Navy was awarded to Norsta Maritime in January. Picture: Peter Carruthers

Under Plan Galileo, Defence is focusing naval sustainment on a network of Regional Maintenance Centres (RMCs) strategically located around the country in port cities, of

which the first one, working with Norsta Maritime, is RMC NE located in Cairns.

Rob Downing, General Manager of TRS, was also extremely pleased with the recognition.

“This was a terrific result for the team as it recognised nationally that regional Australia, especially the City of Cairns, has the capability and supply chain to maintain navy vessels equal with the best of them,” Mr Downing said.

Norship chief executive Olav Groot, Mike Steen, head of in service support for Austal, and Tropical Reef Shipyard general manager Rob Downing. Picture: Bronwyn Farr.

Stewart Barr, general manager of NORSTA, said: “This result clearly demonstrates that this unique collaborative approach is effective and efficient and is already reshaping the sustainment model for the Royal Australian Navy Fleet.”

With the development of the port facility, NORSTA is actively involved in informing and shaping infrastructure development to meet future sustainment needs and is actively collaborating to develop the future workforce.

Originally published as NORSTA wins Defence Teaming Award at DTC Defence Industry Awards