Port Kembla Maritime Centre

Port Kembla Maritime Centre nears completion

Monday, January 26, 2009

Work on the new Port Kembla Maritime Centre will be completed on schedule by July 2009, Ports and Waterways Minister Joe Tripodi said.

“The $6.2 million centre is a joint NSW Maritime and Port Kembla Port Corporation construction project,” Mr Tripodi said.

“The state-of-the-art centre will be home to all the ports and maritime services that service the South Coast area.

“The Port Kembla Maritime centre will become a unique one-stop maritime services facility.
 
“Port Kembla Port Corporation and NSW Maritime will be joined by other tenants including NSW Water Police and the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Services.

“The four agencies will reap the financial benefits of shared infrastructure and equipment, have improved one-stop customer service and there’ll be the added benefit of improved communication between the agencies.”

“It’s a state of the art, energy-efficient building. It is spread over three levels, with ground floor storage and customer service area and two upper levels of offices.

“This facility is about ensuring the efficiency of Maritime services in the Illawarra area.

“The centre will also house a Visitor’s Centre with regional history displays and port tours.

“The area is open to the public and the community is encouraged to drive up to the Outer Harbour and take in the views of Port Kembla from a specially designed viewing platform.”

Minister for the Illawarra David Campbell said the new centre will be a mix of old and new with the existing signal station incorporated in the design of the complex.

“This consolidation of State agencies into a ‘one stop maritime centre’ is another sign of the growth of Port Kembla and heralds the start of a new era for the Port Corporation and the Port Kembla Harbour,” Mr Campbell said “The decision to incorporate the existing signal station in to the design should be congratulated. 

“Relocating the Port Kembla Port Corporation and other maritime services to alongside the harbour foreshore recognises the importance of this historical location to the people of Wollongong.