ENGINEERING consulting company Royal HaskoningDHV has secured a contract with the Torres Strait Island Regional Council to restore and upgrade multiple jetties across the archipelago.
The Dutch company, headquartered in Amersfoort, Netherlands, said it has been commissioned to design and rebuild three jetties across the Saibai, Dauan, and Boigu Islands.
The marine infrastructure revitalisation project is being carried out in order to safeguard the community’s transport and fishing industries.
The new jetty designs will see integration of modernised features including greater stability, wider access ways to support larger barges, more durable materials such as low slip plastic slats, as well as stairs.
Royal HaskoningDHV said the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula area received the most significant investment in marine infrastructure in the last 30 years, with the Queensland Government matching the $40 million investment that the Australian Government delivered in the October Federal Budget, for a total $80 million investment.
This investment will be put towards improving marine infrastructure in the region, by overhauling jetties, wharves, and barge ramps.
“After conducting an initial condition assessment, it was clear multiple jetties were either completely dilapidated or require significant restoration,” said Stuart Bettington, technical director and project lead at Royal HaskoningDHV.
“As part of the project, the new designs will feature significant upgrades. We will be working closely with the council and local community to not only rebuild this infrastructure but to upgrade accessibility as part of the jetty design.”
Torres Strait residents live in some of Australia’s most remote communities, between the tip of Cape York and Papua New Guinea, with some islands accessible only by light plane or helicopter, and are several days sailing from Cairns.
Due to this remoteness, maritime logistics play a critical role in the lives of the communities, with delivery of all essential goods and services, transport for medical reasons as well as both commercial and leisure fishing conducted by water.
Mr Bettington said, “The current jetties only have ladder access for boats. Our designs include stair access at the end which may seem small but is a massive improvement in functionality”.
“Currently, fishermen are required to carry their catch and equipment up and down a ladder, which you can imagine is no easy task. The stairs improve accessibility significantly by allowing boats to easily load and offload at the stair area before mooring elsewhere.”
Royal HaskoningDHV said the existing jetties were built with a lifespan of 25 years, but have been in operation for more than three decades.
During this time, many have become severely degraded and unsafe due to collisions from vessels, weather, and degradation of materials.
“While upgrading the existing jetties is a crucial first step, our initial assessment revealed a broader need for infrastructure improvements,” Mr Bettington commented.
“We believe that by optimising the design and budgeting process, we can identify more cost-effective solutions, allowing the opportunity to expand the scope of the project and make a more significant positive impact on the community.”
The jetty condition assessment has already been completed, the company said, with costing and design currently in development.
The project is scheduled to commence in the upcoming dry season in May 2025.
