Dedicated floating wharf opens for Australian port vessels

A floating pontoon has been opened in Sydney Harbour, Australia, dedicated to the port authority’s workboats, to improve safety and access for crew. This dedicated facility was built at Moores Wharf for the Port Authority of New South Wales (NSW) to enhance its marine operations in Australia’s busiest harbour.  

“Moores Wharf is the home of our Sydney operations team, and the pontoon upgrade will not only improve our operational capabilities but also reaffirms our commitment to safety and responsiveness in the event of incidents in the harbour,” said NSW port authority’s chief operating officer John Finch.

Located next to Barangaroo, this facility is an important staging point for daily operations and emergency response, with marine operations operating 24/7, 365 days a year to oversee thousands of vessel movements within the harbour. 

“The two existing jetties had reached the end of their serviceable life, so we decided on a floating pontoon design because it has several advantages over the previous fixed T-jetty," said Capt Finch. 

“The pontoon floats up and down with the tide movement and maintains a consistent level with our vessels’ decks. This ensures our marine operations team can access vessels safely and more efficiently, which is particularly important for quick turnaround operations and emergency responses." 

As part of the upgrade, a new wave baffle was installed at the end of the wharf to protect pilot vessels and other workboats by absorbing energy from waves generated by passing vessels.  

“Since we have built the wave baffle, we have seen a noticeable decrease in wave action, and the water is a lot calmer, making it easier for vessels to dock and manoeuvre,” Capt Finch said.  

“The pontoon provides more flexibility for mooring our pilot and multipurpose vessels which will be able to dock regardless of the tide, and we have increased the number of berths to eight.”

This floating pontoon also comes with a fuel bowser to service these vessels, and upgraded solar-powered lights to enhance visibility in the marina.