Devonport 5 West RORO welcomes John Duigan

Earlier today, Bass Island Line vessel John Duigan entered the Port of Devonport to undertake trials of the newly constructed Devonport 5 West roll-on-roll-off (RORO) ramp.

TasPorts Chief Executive Officer Anthony Donald said following just two months of construction, the RORO ramp was now operational, signifying a significant milestone for the $2.4 million project.

“Construction on the new ramp commenced in early January 2022 and I am pleased to see John Duigan completing its first run onto the RORO ramp today as part of the commissioning of the berth,” Mr Donald said.

“The efficient completion of the project demonstrates TasPorts’ commitment to delivering this long-term solution to support King Island’s freight task, supported by our principal contractor on this project BridgePro Engineering.”

“To reach this milestone, more than 6500 tonnes of locally sourced rock have been delivered and utilised as part of the new RORO ramp construction, as well as 380 tonnes of high strength marine grade concrete and 200 tonnes of wharf grade asphalt. Further, 26 marine piles have been driven from a jack up barge to support the structure over the river,” he said.

“The ramp is now available for King Island cargo operations, however, work will continue over the coming months to complete required associated work, including lighting, with formal project completion anticipated for June 2022.

“As part of the voyage today, John Duigan has undertaken minor cargo operations, to ensure the ramp is ready to support the vessel’s first official voyage,” Mr Donald said.

“Following today’s successful trial, Bass Island Line will now look to transition its mainland Tasmania port of call from Bell Bay to Devonport. The first official voyage is scheduled to arrive at the Port of Devonport on 14 March 2022.

To support today’s vessel movement, a thorough risk assessment has been undertaken by TasPorts to reduce the risk of any disruption to the current oil spill containment boom in place at Berth 3 West, following a collision incident on 28 January 2022 involving cement carrier Goliath and two stationery TasPorts tugs.

“This assessment has seen a number of controls put in place for the movement, including a day light arrival coinciding with a slack tide, as well as increased monitoring at the incident site,” Mr Donald said.