Poralu Marine is awarded its first project in New Zealand with Tauranga Marina Society

Poralu Marine will be remodelling and redeveloping the floating marina of the Tauranga Marina Society, located at the North end of Sulphur Point in Tauranga Harbour, Bay of Plenty. This will be the marina design and construction company’s first project in New Zealand.

Tauranga is recognised as one of New Zealand’s finest aquatic recreation areas, with Tauranga Marina occupying an area of 150 acres in total including 33 acres of marina and 16 acres of associated land-based facilities. It is currently hosting 561 fully serviced berths for mono and multi-hulls boats.

New Zealand has high conservation standards in place, especially for the maritime environment. Marina developers are encouraged to safeguard the local ecosystems throughout the life-cycle of their project. Yet, the dismantling of maritime infrastructure can be particularly tedious and harmful. The soaked parts tend to separate when lifted from the water and end up on the seafloor. 

Tauranga Marina Society chose to work with Poralu Marine as it offers a more sustainable alternative. Traditional construction methods have been set aside in preference for high quality and robust aluminium frames and Ecostyle® decking which offers users significant benefits. The aluminium structures are easy to remove and disassemble, and with their high recycling rate, they support the development of a circular economy. 

Like most of the marinas in New Zealand, Tauranga Marina Society is facing an increasing demand for new and larger berths as Tauranga’s population of recreational boaters grows. With a long term vision in mind, adding flexibility to the berthing space was a key decision factor for the owners.  “We didn’t want to make any mistakes, we are replacing this marina for another 40+ years, and we want to provide the best option to the berth owners of the Tauranga Marina Society,” says Greg Prescott, Marina Manager of the Tauranga Marina Society. “Our site visit with the Marina Committee members to visit Woolloomooloo and Cronulla marinas in Sydney, respectively installed 20 and 10+ years ago, definitely convinced us of the durability of the system. The aesthetics did not change over time.” 

Some land-based works are already underway, with the on-water component of the project planned to commence in the second half of 2020 with the installation of phase one of the floating marina. This will include the installation of a new pier to welcome the largest boats in the marina (up to 24m) and a fuel pontoon.

Marie-Alexandra Hegot, Poralu Marine Pacific Area Manager, comments: “We are delighted to enter the New Zealand market with such an iconic marina. It is a real pleasure to partner with a forward-thinking customer, approaching the project looking for better alternatives to what the market currently offers. Tauranga Marina Society definitely intends to be at the vanguard of boating facilities in New Zealand.”

The project is being managed by Poralu Marine local staff from Australia, where the company is already well established.