The Queensland Government has announced a $4.5 million investment in new heavy-lift infrastructure at Brisbane’s Cairncross Dockyard, saying the funding will strengthen the state’s defence and maritime manufacturing capability while supporting future ship maintenance and sustainment work.
The investment, delivered through the Crisafulli Government’s $180.6 million Sovereign Industry Development Fund, will fund the acquisition and installation of two cranes at the Cairncross Dockyard – a 1,200-tonne crane and a 400-tonne support crane – to enable large-scale defence and commercial vessel maintenance, repair and sustainment activities.
According to the Queensland Government, the funding supports the broader $2.5 billion Cairncross Dockyard project, which has been declared a Prescribed Project to streamline assessment and approvals as work progresses to re-establish a major graving dock on the Brisbane River.
The government said the upgraded facility is expected to create more than 1,000 direct jobs once operational, while supporting thousands more across manufacturing, logistics and supply chains.
It also aims to strengthen Queensland’s sovereign maritime sustainment capability and reduce reliance on interstate and overseas shipyards.
Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jarrod Bleijie said the investment would help expand Queensland’s role in supporting Australia’s defence capability.
“Queensland has an important role to play in supporting Australia’s defence capability, and this funding will help strengthen that by enabling more ship repair, maintenance and sustainment work to be undertaken right here in Queensland,” Mr Bleijie said.
He said the funding builds on the government’s earlier decision to declare the Cairncross Dockyard project a Prescribed Project.
“The Crisafulli Government has already backed the broader Cairncross Dockyard project through the prescribed project declaration, and this investment is another step towards reactivating the dockyard as a major ship repair and sustainment facility,” he said.
Bleijie said the government was supporting projects intended to strengthen sovereign industries, create skilled jobs and encourage long-term economic growth.
“We’re backing investment-ready projects that support industry growth, jobs and sovereign capability while positioning Queensland as a leading location for defence and maritime industry development,” he said.
The Queensland Government said the Sovereign Industry Development Fund is designed to support projects that expand manufacturing, sustainment, testing and support services while building more resilient sovereign supply chains aligned with Australia’s long-term defence needs.
Cairncross Dockyard Managing Director Ben Quin said the funding would help advance the dockyard’s reactivation.
“This investment is an important step towards bringing large-scale ship repair and sustainment work back to Queensland,” Mr Quin said.
He said the 1,200-tonne crane would provide the heavy-lift capability required to operate the new lift-in/lift-out dock gate for the graving dock and enable vessels weighing up to 600 tonnes to be lifted from the graving dock pool for commercial and defence maritime operations.
“The 400-tonne support crane will be used to establish the 1,200-tonne crane on site and support dockyard construction and quayside operations,” Mr Quin said.
“Support through the Sovereign Industry Development Fund will help accelerate the project and move us closer to our vision of re-establishing Cairncross Dockyard as a world-class ship repair and sustainment hub for Queensland.”
