Devonport’s critical Mersey Slip secured in proud partnership

A port authority that cleaned up a 140-year-old site, and a Tasmanian contractor ready to build its next chapter. The Mersey Slipway is a partnership first.

Devonport has had a working slipway at Wood’s Point since the 1880s, but when the previous operator left in 2022 the site was contaminated, run down and too small for the fleet it needed to serve. TasPorts chose not to walk away from it. Over three years the port authority invested more than $1.3 million in Tasmania’s first large-scale marine sediment remediation and beneficial reuse project, treating more than 2,000 tonnes of contaminated material on land and in the tidal zone, reusing over 1,000 tonnes on site behind a rock revetment built with BridgePro, and earning the Environment Protection Authority’s remediation completion certificate.

“The remediation has transformed a site affected by legacy contamination into one that is ready for its next chapter.”

Captain Allan Gray, Chief Executive Officer, TasPorts

Following a public expression of interest, TasPorts and BridgePro signed a long-term Lease and Development Agreement for the slipway and the adjacent land. BridgePro is investing more than $3.5 million to redevelop the site, re-railing the slip to take vessels up to 24 metres long, 8 metres in the beam and 200 tonnes, with a proposed dedicated wharf for home berthing of the local fishing fleet. The facility is due to reopen in the first quarter of 2027.

“TasPorts’ remediation works have created an important foundation for the future of the Mersey Slipway.”

Aaron Brimfield, Managing Director, BridgePro Engineering

The longer-term plan is a 700-tonne mobile boat hoist, three enclosed blasting and painting bays and heavy hardstand, which would make Mersey Slipway the largest facility of its kind in Australia south of Brisbane. Tugs, offshore support vessels, aquaculture workboats and landing barges that currently steam interstate for survey and maintenance would be serviced in Devonport, at the centre of TasPorts’ three northern ports, supporting more than 100 jobs across the region. Devonport Mayor Alison Jarman described the partnership as an incredible opportunity for the local community.

It is the latest chapter in a working relationship that already spans every major Tasmanian port: the King Island RoRo wharf at Berth 5 West, the Devonport 2 West tug berth pontoon, the Port of Stanley pontoon, the Burnie Berth 7 mooring dolphin and the P6 crane removal, three of them CCF Earth Award winners. Read about our marine capability.

Lead image: Mersey Slipway, Devonport. Image: TasPorts.