Located at East Arm, just minutes from Darwin’s CBD, the Northern Marine Complex spans 246 hectares, including both land and water. It brings together the Darwin Ship Lift and the Marine Industry Park into a single, integrated maritime precinct.
As Australia’s most northern deep-water harbour, the Northern Marine Complex is strategically located close to major international shipping routes and emerging opportunities linked to defence posture changes, gas development, critical minerals supply chains and increasing commercial vessel movements across the region.
Key Assets
At its core is a 5,500-tonne capacity ship lift, supported by infrastructure that allows multiple vessels to be dry-docked at the same time. This capability enables Darwin to service defence, commercial and international vessels operating across northern Australia and the Indo-Pacific.
Surrounding the ship lift is a purpose-built industrial subdivision, with large-scale workshop and fabrication areas located just 600 metres from the lift, specifically designed to support marine maintenance, repair and fabrication activities.
The complex also includes a 10.3-hectare common-use hardstand, providing a secure and expansive area for fabrication, storage and maintenance operations, as well as a multi-user barge ramp offering all-tide access to ensure seamless vessel movement and logistics.
The Marine Industry Park anchors a northern marine industry ecosystem by concentrating marine trades, engineering, logistics and specialist services in one location. This co-location builds industrial scale, strengthens local capability, and ensures the activity generated by the ship lift is captured and grown in Darwin.