Dongara Marine have been awarded a multi-million dollar contract to build the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's new large patrol vessel, to protect Western Australia's northern waters.
The government is investing $13.7 million into the project to replace the Patrol Vessel (PV) Walcott, as a fit-for-purpose fleet of research and patrol vessels is essential to the ongoing sustainability of the WA fishing industry.
The new 24 metre patrol vessel will have a longer fuel range to conduct extended voyages, lower engine emissions, and improved living conditions compared to the 25-year-old PV Walcott.
The vessel will be able to conduct voyages of up to 14 days with accommodation and food storage for 10 people, a hull design with twin keels to provide improved stability and reduced roll, infra-red night vision to support search and research and night-time patrols, and a 5.5 metre tender to conduct inspections and boardings at sea.
The patrol vessel will be based in Broome and used for a range of core government roles including domestic fisheries compliance, marine park management, shark incident response, marine safety, sea search and rescue, whale disentanglement and illegal foreign fishing interception.
Work is expected to commence this month, to be completed by September 2025.