Scuttled Babcock rethinks dry-dock project

By WAYNE THOMPSON

The operator of the Devonport naval dockyard is salvaging plans for a floating dry dock that were sunk by neighbours who said it would affect their views.

Babcock's plans for the super yacht dock were opposed by the Devonport Community Board, the North Shore City Council and the Auckland Regional Council.

Planning commissioners said in December that a dock about 100m long and 30m wide and with a telescopic roof reaching to 29m would cause "significant adverse visual effects".

Babcock chief executive Mike Franklin said yesterday that the dock had since gained importance because it could be used for building the Navy's new patrol craft.

An appeal had been lodged with the Environment Court, but Mr Franklin said a faster path would be to produce a plan that would satisfy objectors to the original proposal.

The $6.5 million dock was supposed to yield 60 extra jobs and $20 million a year for refit work on superyachts coming to Auckland.

It is now also seen by Babcock and the dockyard workers' trade union, EPMU, as a key facility in a bid to win contracts for the Navy's $500 million fleet replacement programme.

Last week Babcock joined forces with Tenix Shipbuilding, which has a Whangarei shipyard and fabrication site, to tender for much of the work.

Mr Franklin said Tenix could build patrol craft at Whangarei and the vessels could be brought to Devonport for the final fit-out.

The proposed dock could play a part in that, if it were big enough, it could maintain the new Navy vessels.

He said the revised dock proposal would take four to six weeks to prepare.

The North Shore City Council is waiting to see the new proposal before deciding how to respond to the company's appeal, said the chairman of the strategic and finance committee, Tony Holman.

After announcing their partnership, Tenix and Babcock touted themselves as the "logical choice" for the coming naval work.

Both companies have extensive experience in military shipbuilding, including involvement in the Anzac frigate project, which saw large parts of the ships' superstructures built in Whangarei.

nzherald.co.nz/marine