New freight vessel to service Lord Howe Island

Serco Australia has been selected as the preferred tenderer to design and build a new marine freight vessel for Lord Howe Island.

Serco Australia has extensive experience in complex shipbuilding projects, including support ships for the Royal Australian Navy and the RSV Nuyina, Australia’s state-of-the-art Antarctic icebreaker.

Based in NSW with a long history of delivering Australian Government projects, Serco Australia is committed to regional business participation, with 40 per cent of the contract price to be spent in Australia.

Serco Australia offered the most competitive tender for this project and the best value for money.

The vessel will be tailor built to service Lord Howe Island for the next 40 years and owned by the NSW Government.

The tender to select the operator of the ship is a separate process which will commence soon.

Like other remote inhabited islands around the world, Lord Howe Island is almost completely reliant on the mainland for most of its food supplies and essential items including fuel and construction materials, and waste removal.

The new vessel will be more efficient and manoeuvrable which will improve the safety and reliability of the service.

The vessel design and high-tech detection systems will enhance biosecurity controls, providing a critical line of defence to protect the 240 species of native plants and 1,800 species of birds and insects that are found within this World Heritage-listed environment.

The new ship is part of Lord Howe Island’s Critical Infrastructure Program, which will also deliver upgraded marine infrastructure, a new waste management facility and enhanced biosecurity systems.

The ship currently servicing the island, the MV Island Trader, will continue operating while the new vessel is built.

This significant investment by the NSW Government is being delivered by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service in close partnership with the Lord Howe Island Board.

Suzie Christensen, Chief Executive Officer, Lord Howe Island, said:

“I am pleased to announce the preferred tenderer for the new vessel to provide a sustainable freight service, delivering essential supplies for the island’s 400 residents and up to 16,000 visitors annually and supporting Lord Howe Island’s reputation as an internationally renowned tourist destination.

“Now we have locked-in a preferred ship builder, the next exciting step is the release of the Request for Tender for operation and maintenance of the new vessel between mainland NSW and Lord Howe Island.”