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The largest ship lifter in the Southern Hemisphere will be launched in Brisbane, putting Australia on the international maritime map and opening the door for a strong expansion of Australia’s marine industry.

In an exciting move for the marine industry in Australia, today marks the launch of Brisbane Ship Lifts and Boatyard’s 600 Tonne Travel Lift, enabling superyachts and naval and commercial vessels almost the size of a football field to be lifted out of the water.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, the Honourable Paul Lucas said the benefits of the 600 Tonne Travel Lift are significant to not only Queensland but the marine and tourism industry in Australia.

”The superyacht industry is growing and Queensland has a reputation for being competitive on quality and cost,” Mr Lucas said.

“This sort of infrastructure doesn’t just support companies like Viking but also hundreds of tradespeople and small businesses.”

CEO of Viking Industries, Jerry Lim says the Travel Lift will provide the marine industry with the infrastructure required to promote Australia as an international marine industry destination with superior facilities for marine refits, repairs and maintenance.

“It is expected that this will boost superyacht numbers, as well as provide local naval and commercial vessels with the infrastructure required for necessary maintenance in closer proximity to their respective bases,” Mr Lim said.

“The Superyacht market is a global market that has demonstrated strong growth for more than a decade, with no sign of slowing,” Mr Lim said.

“In fact, in 1999 only four superyachts visited Australia. In 2005 50 superyachts made the trip to Australian waters and 2007 saw 60 superyachts visiting our shores. Many of these underwent maintenance and refit in Australia.”

In conjunction with the Australian Government’s newly created special visa class to support the growing superyacht industry, the 600 Tonne Travel Lift will provide Australia with the infrastructure and opportunity to more than triple this figure in the next five years.

CEO of Australia’s peak industry body, Superyacht Base Australia, and President of the International Superyacht Society Lance Cushion welcomed the launch of the 600 Tonne Travel Lift, saying it would bring great economic benefits to the region.

“Currently, the superyacht tourism industry contributes $150 million each year to Australia's economy and is expected to grow to more than $500 million over the next five years,” he said.

“Australia has many competitive advantages, including the low Australian dollar, which we must promote to cash in on the superyacht boom.”

What sets the Travel Lift apart is its ability to lift vessels up to 80 metres in length out of the water with precision, eliminating the risks associated with other forms of vessel haulage such as slipways and dry-docks.
This means is that large vessels are able to be quickly, reliably and safety serviced and repaired in Australia.

The Travel Lift will provide Australia with the opportunity to compete with the Mediterranean, Caribbean and the US to become a superyacht destination. This will provide significant ongoing economic benefits to the region.

The new 600 tonne Travel Lift will double the lifting capacity at the Hemmant based boatyard and provide the necessary tools for the Australian marine industry to compete with the rest of the world.

For more information, please contact:

www.vikingindustries.com.au