Tauranga Harbour Marine Precinct update

Tauranga Harbour Marine Precinct artist render - based on plans as at end of June 2015. Photo/Supplied

Planning and procurement for the Tauranga Harbour Marine Precinct are well underway.

The Tauranga Harbour Marine Precinct is a $10m project to deliver a purpose-built marine servicing facility at Sulphur Point.

The precinct will provide a base for boat building and refit businesses in Tauranga City and will be managed by Tauranga City Council under the Vessel Works brand.

By late 2016 (stage 1 development), the precinct will include lots in a range of sizes for marine businesses, a 6200-square metre vessel storage area (hardstand), deep-water marina berths for large vessels and New Zealand's largest vessel hoist (200-300 ton haulage capacity and extra-wide).

Further development (more lots, extension to the hardstand) will be undertaken in stages, based on demand from the industry.

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council is the funding partner for the Marine Precinct project, contributing $5 million through the Regional Infrastructure Fund.

Tauranga City Council's $5 million contribution will be partially offset by the sale of properties on and near the site.

Travel-lift procurement

The travel-lift (or vessel hoist) will be a major feature of the future Marine Precinct.

It will allow to lift large vessels onto the hardstand for refitting (maintenance, painting, repair etc.).

The procurement process for the travel-lift continues with the evaluation of responses to the tender by four shortlisted international suppliers.

A recommendation is expected to be made in the coming weeks.

Council seeks to procure a travel-lift able to hoist vessels that are wide (e.g. fast ferries and catamarans) and heavy (close to 300 tonnes).

Civil works planning and procurement

Council will appoint a civil works construction company to build the structural features of the Marine Precinct: the new vertical seawall, followed by the new 6,200m2 hardstand (vessel storage area) and finally the new floating marina berths.

Workshops were held with six shortlisted civil works companies, experienced in the construction of seawalls and heavy pavements, to identify potential construction techniques and scope construction timeframes. At this stage construction of the above is expected to take 5 to 7 months.

Once the detailed designs for the seawall and hardstand pavement are completed, the civil works contract will be put out to tender to the six shortlisted companies.

Preparing for the construction phase

Several marine-based businesses currently have tenancies on the site of the future Marine Precinct, including within the stage 1 works area.

These tenants have almost completed the relocation of their businesses to areas on the site away from the primary stage 1 works. This will ensure continuity for their business during the construction phase.

Additional time for relocation has been given to tenants within the stage 1 area who required space on the existing hardstand to store a number of the largest vessels from the Tauranga Bridge Marina that had to be cleaned after the Tauranga Harbour oil spill in April 2015.

Project timing

The Marine Precinct is expected to be open for business between July and November 2016. The opening date of the precinct will primarily depend on the model of travel-lift that will ultimately be procured, with time needed to be factored in for building of the parts abroad, shipping to New Zealand in containers, and assembly of the travel-lift on-site. The choice of travel-lift will also impact on the design of the pavement and therefore on the complexity of the civil works part of the project.