THE Western Australian government announced that ASX-listed Ventia Australia is to take on the role of operator and facilities manager for the Common User Facility at the Australian Marine Complex in Henderson, WA.
The CUF includes heavy load-out berth infrastructure, fabrication and assembly facilities, significant laydown areas, and a floating dock and transfer system capable of transferring vessels weighing up to 10,000 tonnes.
The new contract includes the operation, maintenance and marketing of the 400,000 square-metre CUF and will see Ventia appointed for an initial five-year term, with two five-year options.
It follows a formal tender process conducted by DevelopmentWA, which is responsible for overall management of the AMC.
The contract of the current manager, AMC Management, is due to expire in June. A managed handover process will now take place, with Ventia’s contract formally commencing from 1 July.
The CUF is located within the fabrication precinct at the AMC 23 kilometres south of Perth. It is an integrated heavy engineering, fabrication and assembly facility providing Australia-based businesses with access to large-scale industrial infrastructure on a project-by-project basis for major fabrication and assembly, load-out, docking, shipbuilding and maintenance.
Since its inception in 2003, the CUF has facilitated more than 450 projects and generated more than $2.6 billion in business.
As part of its WA Recovery Plan, the State Government is investing more than $89.3 million in four key infrastructure upgrade projects at the AMC.
State lands minister John Carey said the AMC is highly regarded as a world-class shipbuilding, sustainment and maintenance facility, and it also plays a pivotal role in supporting the resource and oil and gas industries in WA.
“The CUF is at the heart of the AMC and provides Western Australian businesses with a key competitive advantage through access to large-scale infrastructure,” he said.
“As a leading services provider in the defence and infrastructure sectors, with operations across Australia and in New Zealand, Ventia is well placed to further enhance the performance and reputation of this important facility and ensure it continues to be a vital contributor to WA’s ongoing growth and prosperity.”
