Brisbane marina gains approval for $200m expansion

Brisbane-based Rivergate Marina and Shipyard has been granted approval for a AU$200m expansion of its marina, expected to boost the local economy by nearly AU$1bn each year.

Brisbane City Council has approved Rivergate’s development application for an expanded maintenance and refit hub based on the Brisbane River, which Rivergate says will be a catalyst for a ‘jobs and economic bonanza’ for Queensland’s marine and tourism industries.

The proposal was first made at the end of 2020 and, according to the Brisbane Times, the expansion will make the shipyard the largest superyacht refit and maintenance hub in the Asia-Pacific region.

The proposed expansion of the award-winning marina is forecast to dramatically increase superyacht visitation to Australia while also providing vital new capability to service Australian Defence Force and Australian Border Force vessels.

Captain’s lounge and library

The expansion will include a $35m state-of-the-art shiplift, capable of lifting vessels of up to 3,000 tonnes and 90 metres, as well as new hardstanding space, sheds and berthing to service multiple large vessels at the same time.

Rivergate will also become a Trade Centre for Excellence with plans for a new five-storey purpose-built facility featuring training rooms, offices, café, world-class crew accommodation and crew recreation facilities.

On completion, the marina says the expansion will generate an estimated 2,000 new jobs for marine and tourism sectors, inject close to $1bn into the Queensland economy each year, and ensure the region’s maritime industry is ready for the 2032 Olympic Games.

Crew accommodation room

Rivergate director Tom Hill says: “This approval means our expansion is now shovel ready and just waiting on government funding support to get underway.”

Hill adds that the project will make it possible for an estimated 60 additional superyachts to visit Australian waters each year.

Outdoor recreation area

“Brisbane is already an ideal location for servicing and repairing superyachts, several classes of defence vessels and other commercial shipping,” says Hill. “This expansion would provide owners and captains of large recreational vessels with the assurance that world-class facilities are available for both routine and unplanned maintenance works while they are cruising in our region.

“It will also fill a much-needed gap in defence and commercial vessel maintenance on Australia’s east coast, eliminating the current necessity for some vessel classes to be serviced elsewhere in Australia such as Perth or Adelaide due to a lack of lifting capacity.”