By LS Rachel Irving

CN, VADM Chris Ritchie addresses the gathering.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, Fran Bailey, opened the new wharf, HMAS Norman alongside forms part of the background.

HMAS Norman is dwarfed by the sheer size of the new Navy Wharf.

Members of the local Gulaga people dance at the ceremony.

Fran Bailey receives flowers from Peter and Leonie Kirby of the Koori Cafe.

Photos: SGT Troy Rodgers

Navy’s new multi-purpose wharf at Twofold Bay, Eden is officially open for business. The aptly named Navy Wharf, part of a $43 million project, is a 200 metre by 30 metre dredged berth wharf.

It has a dual lane 560 metre long jetty between the wharf and shore, and an access road, William Allan Drive, between the shore and the existing Edrom Road. The project also includes an ammunition transit and storage facility approximately 15 kilometres inland from the wharf, which is under construction.

Chief of Navy VADM Chris Ritchie and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence Fran Bailey, opened Navy Wharf to the delight of a crowd of 200 including school children from local schools, St Josephs and Eden Primary.

Local indigenous Gulaga dancers welcomed the Navy and the community with traditional dances. CN said, “The facility is capable of carrying all classes of ships and submarines currently in the Navy while the transit depot is also capable of taking all classes of ammunition that the Navy uses at the moment and anticipates using into the future.

“Consequently we anticipate that this wharf and the transit facility that goes with it will be capable of supporting naval operations for at least the next fifty years.”

The new wharf replaces the existing ammunitioning facility at Point Wilson in Victoria and will provide support to ships visiting and home-ported to Fleet Base East.

Navy will have exclusive use of the wharf for 70 days a year, the local indigenous community will have exclusive use five days a year, while the rest of the time the wharf will be available for public and commercial use.

CN noted that the collaborative arrangement reflected the way in which the Navy and the community had worked together on the project.

“We’ve worked with the NSW government and the agencies involved with the building of the wharf to ensure that it’s design and it’s construction and that of the transit facility itself are strictly in accordance with current environmental standards and conditions.”

Navy also worked with the local indigenous communities to ensure an indigenous land use agreement. HMAS Norman (LCDR Scott Hamilton) was alongside the wharf for the opening and then sailed from Navy Wharf with her official guests to Snug Cove Wharf, Eden for the opening of the Eden Whale Festival.

.