The purchase contract securing the 350 tonne travel lift for the Tauranga Marine Precinct has been signed by Tauranga City Council CEO Garry Poole and Cimolai sales manager Claudio Carlon.

The contract, signed on Friday, secures the deliver, assembly, commissioning and training on the vessel hoist before the precinct is operational in May/June 2017.

A Cimolai 350-tonne lift has been secured for the Tauranga Marine Precinct.

Construction of the machine begins next month, with delivery in containers expected in April next year. Final handover is expected in June 2017.

Commissioning and training will be subject to the 6,200m2 heavy pavement hard standing being completed for the significant load testing required of the machine ahead of handover.

It will be able to lift boats of up to 350 tonnes, 45m long and 12m wide. The precinct known as Vessel Works will be able to lift, move and store some of the larger commercial fishing and work boats from the region and further afield. The extra width of the machine will also allow the lift to cater for some of the larger catamarans and power cats.

'The sheer capacity of the mobile hoist will really give the precinct the competitive edge when it comes to servicing these vessels, opening up business opportunities for the companies establishing themselves there and boosting Tauranga's reputation as a leading marine industry service provider,” says Garry.

'Our focus in procuring a hoist of this size was to make sure we got the best product possible within budget, to give the precinct a unique point of difference and allow the on-site businesses the greatest opportunity to provide a full range of services.”

Claudio Carlon says Cimolai is delighted to be selected as the preferred supplier following an international tender process in 2015 in which four world-renowned suppliers were short-listed.

'We were very pleased to be awarded the contract and have thoroughly enjoyed working with Tauranga City Council to deliver the hoist with advanced technology and features that has been specially tailored to suit the local market,” says Claudio.

Regan Woodward, of Superyacht Coatings International, says the capacity of the lift was the reason the company decided to relocate from Auckland.

'The hoist will allow us to lift vessels in our target market, so after learning of the council's decision to acquire a 350 tonne machine it just made sense to relocate to Tauranga to take advantage of the facilities the Marine Precinct has to offer,” says Regan.

The Tauranga Harbour Marine Precinct is a $10 million project to deliver a purpose-built marine servicing facility at Sulphur Point. The precinct will provide a base for boat building and refit businesses in Tauranga and will be managed by Tauranga City Council under the Vessel Works brand.

Further development (more lots, extension to the hardstand) will be undertaken in stages, based on demand from the industry.

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council is the funding partner for the Marine Precinct project, contributing $5 million through the Regional Infrastructure Fund. Tauranga City Council's $5 million contribution will be partially offset by the sale of properties on and near the site.

More information is available on the project website.