Construction begins on new Sydney Ports Operations Centre

Construction has started on Sydney Ports’ $6.9 million Operations Centre at Port Botany, designed to ensure efficient shipping management services and facilities for our port customers well into the future.

The new centre will play an important role in the future direction of Sydney Ports.

The Operations Centre will centralise control of all commercial shipping for both Sydney ports, including navigation, pilotage, communications and other functions needed to manage shipping effectively and safely.

The four-storey 2300m2 building will be outfitted with state-of-the-art communications and vessel traffic management systems and will supersede the need for a control tower and other outdated systems currently in use.

The building will be environmentally sustainable, with the equivalent of a 4.5 green star rating targeted in the design process. Lucas Stuart Pty Ltd will build the new centre, which is expected to be finished in late 2009.

Also, construction of the new 35m Pilot Cutter Jetty at the head of Brotherson Dock is complete. The jetty is an integral part of Sydney Ports’ plan to consolidate marine operations and pilotage activities, which will assist in creating a single pilot boarding ground. The two pilot vessels from Sydney Harbour have been moved to the new jetty.