GPC Marina Officially Fish Friendly

ONE of the peak marina bodies in the Asia Pacific has given international accreditation to Gladstone Ports Corporation (GPC) for its clean and fish friendly Marina with the port achieving a high score of 99 percent.

GPC’s Marina undertook strenuous audits by the Marina Industries Association (MIA) with more than 40 criteria requirements to check off including storm water runoff, oil changes and facility cleaning.

Marina superintendent David Osmond said the Marina team always went above and beyond to make sure the facilities and services were five-star for both residents below and above the waterline.

“The process was very strict and involved a two-part self-assessment of the marina, a site visit from an auditor, the assessors report and approval from the Clean Marina Committee,” Mr Osmond said.

“A minimum score of 85 percent needs to be achieved for the Marina to be accredited so we’re very proud to have gone well beyond that and it goes to show how hard our team works to keep our beautiful marina ship-shape,” he said.

“We’re not going to take our foot of the accelerator though, we know that the health of our Marina is incredibly important and not only attracts an abundance of marine life but also boaties from far and wide who spend their time and money in the region supporting our local economy,”

“This international accreditation demonstrates that we are not only operating in harmony with our environment – but we are actively enhancing it through our operations, community engagement and education,”

“In three years we will re-apply for reaccreditation and undergo another full site review of the water and our land facilities.”

Chief Operating Officer Craig Walker said the accreditation for Clean Marina and Fish Friendly, is important for all marinas across the globe.

“We have a very professional and dedicated team at GPC who ensure the sustainable operation of our facility, from our marina experts to our environmental specialists, our teams are passionate about what they do and the accreditation is proof of that,” Mr Walker said.

The Marina Industries Association (MIA) is the peak representative body for marinas, slipways, boatyards, berthing, mooring and other marine storage facilities as well as sailing and cruising clubs.

Membership of MIA comprises in excess of 85% of the major Australian marinas as well as an increasing number of members from overseas, including NZ, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

MIA’s mission is to contribute to the sustainable development of the industry through the promotion of marinas and the provision of education, environmental accreditation and research programs and policies.