Supply of Public Mooring & RPM Maintenance Services in Great Barrier Reef Marine Park – QPWS
North Marine installs & maintains public-use boat mooring infrastructure and reef protection markers throughout the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
Client: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS)
North Marine has held an SOA with QPWS since 2010 (formerly as ‘Tim North Marine’) – with the most recent SOA awarded in 2019.
Scope of Work
North Marine is a key contractor in the SOA to maintain public-use boat mooring infrastructure and reef protection markers for QPWS.
Work is conducted throughout the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, including the northern GBR, Whitsundays and southern GBR.
Maintenance voyages are conducted two-to-three times annually by North Marine, on average. Change-out voyages occur every four years, where mooring components are completely replaced. (Mooring parts are fully replaced, with the exception of the embedded screw anchor).
North Marine typically uses the workboat ‘Viking’ for maintenance voyages and the larger ‘Gulf Explorer’ for change-out trips.
Maintenance voyages include cleaning, exchanging defective parts, recording conditions and providing photographic and written evidence reports. North Marine ensures adequate replacement parts are ready to deploy and accordingly dispose of, or return to QPWS, faulty/unused equipment.
Importantly, North Marine fabricates moorings in-house and is a mooring component stockist. Being a local supplier reduces third-party costs to the client, and further minimises freight charges – resulting in budget savings.
Mooring lines, with tackle, are fabricated in-house by our expert commercial diving department to exact specifications. An AMSA accredited Marine Surveyor routinely inspects fabricated mooring lines to ensure conformity with specifications.
These logistically complex voyages involve extensive quality assurance, planning, reporting and compliance obligations.
Critically, works are performed with minimal interruption to other reef users.
As always, North Marine operates within all cultural and environmental controls set out by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), QPWS and applicable authorities.
Deliverables
- Clean, inspect & conduct routine maintenance on public moorings
- Clean, inspect & conduct routine maintenance on RPMs
- Conduct mooring change-outs, inc. installation of new mooring components
- Fabricate mooring lines & tackle (in-house)
- Supply of mooring components as required in SOA
– Including pickup lines, buoy lanyards, rated shackles, thimbles, swivels, split-pins, riser buoys, line, ballast chains etc. - Maintenance reporting across all assets – written & photographic
Government Supplier – Local Contractor North Marine
North Marine is a prominent Queensland marine contracting company based in the Port of Cairns in Far North Queensland, Australia.
North Marine has a long history of delivering maritime support to the public sector – including numerous Government agencies and local councils.
Most notable is this SOA with Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service (QPWS), which North Marine has held on a recurring basis since 2010, and a long-term contract as a supplier to the Bureau of Meteorology’s remote weather stations in the South Pacific. Furthermore, North Marine has excellent contractor relationships with MSQ and Ports North – See ‘Case Studies’ for more examples.
Discriminators
- Established track record of Government contracting
- Environmental, ethical & socially aware company
- Extensive history of operating in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
- Local SME business using a local FNQ workforce
- Able to deliver all project objectives with value for money
- In-house rope fabrication & local mooring parts stockist reduces third-party costs & freight costs, resulting in savings
- Adept at delivering logistically complex and remote projects
- A fleet of suitable charter vessels to perform works
- ISO accredited
- Experienced project managers and key personnel
Outcome
North Marine has successfully completed every voyage since 2010 (with the most recent SOA awarded in 2019).
Contracted SOA objectives, reporting and compliance are delivered in full, on time and within budget.
About Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) is a branch of the State of Queensland Department of Environment and Science (DES).
Public Moorings & Reef Protection Markers
Public moorings exist throughout the Great Barrier Reef region to reduce coral damage from vessel anchors. Reef protection markers primarily outline a reef protection area, where the use of vessel anchors is prohibited.
Public moorings are available to all reef users. They are coded to indicate the class of vessel they may hold (vessel length), the time they can be used, and the maximum wind strengths, as applicable to each mooring.
Click here to learn more about public-use moorings on the Great Barrier Reef.