A new Port of Greymouth sounding vessel has been officially commissioned as part of an $8.2 million investment to revitalise the port.
The small multi-purpose vessel and its sounding equipment was funded by $185,000 from the Government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund and $95,000 from Development West Coast.
The 7.5m vessel will be skippered by qualified port staff and used predominantly to carry out soundings of the bar entrance and lagoon depths. It could also be used for piloting and crew transfers.
It is expected to operate out to sea when conditions allow and can travel up to 12 nautical miles offshore.
It has been named GP7 – Greymouth Port’s seventh port vessel. The Port of Greymouth previously contracted out its sounding work.
“This multi-purpose vessel is a great addition to the Port of Greymouth, which will enable frequent soundings to be undertaken and remove costs associated with contracting out these services,” said Group Manager Operations, Kurtis Perrin-Smith.
In addition to the boat, more floating jetties will be installed on the Blaketown side of the port, along with an amenities block.
Grey District Council General Manager Economic Development and Regulatory, Peter O’Sullivan said the addition of GP7 will enable the Port of Greymouth to provide a wider range of services and support to mariners using the port.
“This is a very well-constructed and well-equipped port vessel and is similar to operational vessels at several other South Island ports,” said Mr O’Sullivan.
The wider Greymouth Port development is being supported through $2.3 million in funding from the Regional Infrastructure Fund, with an additional $1.2 million contributed by Development West Coast (DWC). Grey District Council is funding the balance, along with $4.3m from the Ministry of Transport’s Coastal Shipping Resilience Fund.
