Australia’s Norship amps up ship repair capacity
Norship welcomed representatives from the Australian Government at the launch of the new facility (Source: Norship)
Cairn’s-headquartered Norship recently expanded its specialist facility with the addition of a new AUD 16 million building. The shed, which is 62m long x 26m high, will house the company’s abrasive blasting and spray-painting operation. The shed was designed and constructed by Cairns Steel Fabrication and is the first facility of its kind in the North, providing all-weather protection, humidity control and full filtration to meet the growing demand for greener practices within the maritime industry.
The building has been constructed with a steel portal design, with new housing for a shiplift. It will be fitted out with two overhead gantry cranes, ventilation systems, a blast door as well as the aforementioned blasting and painting system.
The expansion is aimed at offering increased services to naval, commercial and private sector marine vessels. The company said that the new unit, “means more skilled jobs, stronger supply chains, better training opportunities and more work for small businesses in an industry that is resilient to some of the external challenges faced by tourism.”
The expanded facility will boost marine vessel sustainment and engineering services, and is estimated to support 32 new jobs over the next decade. The modernisation of these facilities is also estimated as having a direct benefit on nearly 600 suppliers across the region who actively support Norship and other shipyards in the Cairns Marine Precinct.
The company, which claims to offer the largest maritime maintenance workforce in Northern Australia, received AUD 7.5 million in funds from the Australian Government as part of the Northern Australia Development Program Industry Transformation Program, alongside funds from the Queensland Government’s Industry Partnership Program (IPP) grant.
