Sustainable Marina Development book to launch at METS

Sustainable Marina Development, written by John Hogan and Lyndall De Marco, will be launched in Europe at the Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS), 15-17 November 2011 in the Australian Pavilion.

The book focuses on ways developers, architects, marina construction companies and private boating organisations can work together to maintain a pristine natural environment and build modern marinas.

Author John Hogan, managing director of marine berthing specialist Superior Jetties, said the topic of sustainability was continually being raised yet the full meaning of the concept still needed to be debated and understood.

“It’s easy to talk about sustainability but to put it into practise economically and socially is another thing altogether,” Mr Hogan said.

“Sustainability is about ensuring the environmental elements of a project are in harmony with the social and economic elements and the important aspect of destination protection.

“The marina development sector is taking significant strides forward in sustainable development and we have learnt many lessons from other industries such as hotels and hospitality.”

Sustainable Marina Development has been written to clarify the ambiguities of sustainability by providing a guideline for developers in the early stages of a marina development.

Highlighting components of marina planning, design and implementation, specific attention is given to opportunities for a sustainable outcome. The book asks the question: ‘If the project disappeared from the land tomorrow, would the site have been degraded in terms of the economic, ecological, social and destination protection aspects?’

“Those who are involved in marina development have a responsibility to deliver projects environmentally and socially while still maintaining a profit,” Mr Hogan said.

“I hope this book goes some way to helping people understand how this is possible or, at the very least, encourages a more robust debate within our industry so we can ensure the future maintenance and growth of recreational and commercial boating.”

Sustainable Marina Development is available from Superior Jetties’ online store – www.superiorjetties.com – or through Amazon book retail website.