Unlocking Frances Bay’s Potential

19 October 2023

New lock gates at the Frances Bay Mooring Basin will soon open to supporting our important maritime industry.

The Territory Labor Government is investing $20 million to upgrade infrastructure at Frances Bay, improving facilities and providing long term certainty for our commercial fishing, seafood, marine maintenance and maritime industries.

The upgrades will deliver new lock doors, modernise the mechanical and electrical systems and provide advanced engineering solutions to help ensure the longer term sustainability, efficiency and safety of the facility.

Valued to reach $346 million by 2030, the commercial fishing and maritime industry is vital in generating economic activity and employment in the Top End.

In 2021 fisheries production alone contributed $145 million to the sector, and the maritime industry employs around 1000 full time workers to date.

This project has so far seen 65 jobs created with local Territory contractor Advance Civil Engineering leading the project and local fabricator SLE Engineering building the new lock doors and other fabricated elements.

Construction began in February 2023 and the project is expected to be completed in late 2024.

Quote attributable to Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, Eva Lawler:

“Known locally as the ‘Duck Pond’, the lock gates at Frances Bay have been in place since 1987, they have stood the test of time for 30 years but are now in need for an upgrade.

“Our Territory Labor Government is extending the life of the Frances Bay lock, a vital piece of infrastructure to countless Territory businesses. Infrastructure maintenance across the Territory is a key role of government with $226.5 million invested back into existing assets in budget 2023.

“At any one time you can find up to 85 vessels mooring in the basin, that is numerous local businesses and hundreds of local jobs which will directly benefit from the upgrades to Frances bay.”

Northern Territory Government