Developments

The ASSIST Maritime team is focused on reactivating the large capacity graving dock at Cairncross Dockyard Brisbane, with the aim of restoring an important dry-docking capability for Australia.

This work reflects both an operational need and a strategic opportunity.

Australia’s only other large capacity graving dock at Garden Island in Sydney is already operating at full capacity. At the same time, many large-hull commercial vessels continue to undertake deep maintenance in Singapore due to limited domestic dry-docking availability.

In that context, Cairncross has the potential to provide a strategic insurance policy for Australia’s large-vessel dry-docking capacity, while also helping meet part of Defence and commercial fleet demand.

A major part of the current effort is the design and fabrication of a novel lift-in lift-out dock gate, led by Chief Engineer Robert Taylor and his engineering team.

Unlike a traditional caisson, the new gate is being developed as a lift-in lift-out system that can be removed and reinstated by a large-capacity crane. This approach offers a more flexible and practical solution for dock operations, inspection, maintenance and future modification.

The target is to have the new dock gate in place by the end of October 2025.

This is not simply about restoring legacy infrastructure. It is about reactivating the dock in a form better aligned with current operational requirements and long-term sustainment needs.

The work reflects the wider ASSIST Maritime approach of combining strategic infrastructure reactivation with engineering-led design and practical delivery thinking.

Under Robert Taylor’s leadership, the engineering team is progressing a dock gate solution tailored to Cairncross and to the wider need for more capable and maintainable maritime sustainment infrastructure.