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Channel Upgrade

Page last updated on 29-03-2023.

Channel Upgrade

The Port of Townsville is northern Australia’s largest container and automotive port, and a growing cruise port, and provides a vital link for the mining, agricultural, construction, energy, general cargo, retail, Defence and tourism industries.

However, at just 92m wide, the shipping channel is one of the narrowest in the country and can only accommodate ships up to 238m in length.

As ships get larger, the channel must be upgraded to allow vessels safe passage to the port, to ensure Townsville is not bypassed as a trade route.

The $251m Channel Upgrade project will see the Platypus channel (Port end) widened to 180m, tapering to 120m offshore, to accommodate vessels up to 300m in length when completed in 2024.


Contracts and Tenders

The promise of local employment is central to the Channel Upgrade project.

For the Port of Townsville, employing local people drives cost efficiencies and helps in the ongoing process of gaining and maintaining our social licence to operate. Recognising these opportunities for social and economic development, the Port uses a wide range of policies and strategies to promote direct local employment. 

Port of Townsville Limited utilises the Queensland Government’s QTenders website for public tendering of works.  Tender documentation is notified and accessed at https://www.hpw.qld.gov.au/qtenders/

If you wish to be notified of upcoming tenders for the Port of Townsville, please ensure that you are registered with QTenders and turn on notifications in your profile settings. You will be notified through QTenders by email when a new tender has been released that matches your selected categories of interest.

Tenders Awarded

  • Supply of site offices
  • Landside earthworks
  • Marine Water Quality Monitoring Program
  • Inshore Dolphins Monitoring Program
  • Seagrass Monitoring Program
  • Coral Monitoring Program
  • Marine Megafauna Monitoring Program
  • Sediment Sampling Analysis Plan (SAP)
  • Rock Supply
  • Rock Wall Construction
  • Dredge and Reclamation

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For further information about the Channel Upgrade project

p  Toll Free 1800 531 561 (Mon-Fri 8.30am-4pm)

 cugeneral@townsvilleport.com.au

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