Marine

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A specialised sector built on coastal advantage

The marine sector is an emerging and highly specialised industry on the Redlands Coast, leveraging the city’s bayside location, marina facilities and maritime capability.

Marine manufacturing and services include recreational and commercial boatbuilding, vessel repair and maintenance, marine equipment supply and specialised marine services. While smaller in scale than some industries, the sector delivers very high productivity per worker and is well positioned within a globally traded market.

Redlands Coast’s proximity to the bay, islands and established marine assets enables businesses to service both domestic and export markets, while strengthening connections to tourism, logistics and advanced manufacturing supply chains.

Why Redlands Coast

Redlands Coast offers marine businesses a competitive base to operate, specialise and grow.

Key advantages:

  •  Strategic bayside location with direct access to marine assets
  • Established marina facilities and maritime services
  • Proximity to South East Queensland marine supply chains
  • Skilled trades workforce with transferable manufacturing capability
  • Strong alignment with tourism, transport and export oriented activity

Investment opportunities

The marine sector on Redlands Coast presents opportunities across:

  • Specialised boatbuilding and refit services, supporting recreational and commercial fleets
  • Advanced materials and precision engineering, including composites and digital design
  • Low emission and sustainable marine technologies, responding to global demand
  • Supply chain integration with manufacturing, logistics and marine services across South East Queensland

There is also strong scope to build workforce capability through local apprenticeship and training pathways, aligned with proposed state investment in a marine training hub.

Future outlook

The marine sector is expected to remain a specialised and resilient contributor to the Redlands Coast economy.

Future growth will be supported by:

  • Ongoing demand for vessel maintenance, refit and marine services
  • Innovation in sustainable, low emission and smart marine technologies
  • Investment in marina infrastructure and support facilities
  • Continued focus on skills development and workforce pathways

With targeted investment and collaboration, Redlands Coast can strengthen its role as a centre for marine expertise, innovation and services.

Case studies

Raby Bay Harbour

Raby Bay Harbour offers a rare combination of marina, business and hospitality uses in a single waterfront precinct. Its setting creates both operational value and lifestyle appeal, while the shared harbour space presents opportunities for activation, renewal and tourism growth.

Established 2002 – Mixed-use waterfront precinct – Marina, dining & commercial – Community destination – Tourism & marine hub

Located in the heart of Cleveland, Raby Bay Harbour combines a working marina with restaurants, offices and shared public spaces. With 75 marina berths, a fuel berth and direct access to Moreton Bay, it operates as both essential marine infrastructure and a vibrant destination for locals, visitors and the boating community.

The harbour is also a focal point for community life, hosting major and regular events including Adventurefest, Christmas celebrations, markets and triathlons, reinforcing its role as more than a marina – it is a place where people gather.

Looking ahead, there is strong potential to revitalise and expand the common areas, further strengthening the precinct as a gateway to the region’s waterways and islands. Future plans include extending the marina to accommodate short-term berths and exploring the capacity for a superyacht berth, supporting higher value marine activity and strengthening Redlands Coast’s position within the broader boating and visitor economy.

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Why Redlands Coast

The Redlands Coast provides an ideal environment for marine and tourism-based destinations that rely on both accessibility and lifestyle appeal.

Key advantages include:

  • Prime bayside location with direct access to Moreton Bay
  • Ability to serve local, visitor and tourism markets simultaneously
  • Strong community engagement and event culture
  • Connectivity to Brisbane while offering a relaxed coastal setting
  • A growing reputation as a destination for marine and waterfront experiences.

“Raby Bay Harbour’s location and waterfront setting create more than a commercial precinct – they deliver a lifestyle destination for the community to enjoy. It’s a place that brings people together and showcases what bayside living on Redlands Coast is all about.”

Aluminium Marine Australia

Aluminium Marine Australia is a world‑class aluminium vessel manufacturer designing and building large, high-performance custom catamarans for commercial, tourism and private clients from Thornlands on the Redlands Coast.

Established 2024 (building on 30+ years of expertise) – Thornlands waterfront facility – Export-focused manufacturing – Custom vessels 10-45 metres – Global operators

 Aluminium Marine Australia designs and manufactures custom aluminium power catamarans for some of the most demanding marine environments in the world. From dive vessels operating across the Great Barrier Reef to high-speed passenger ferries and private expedition craft, the company delivers purpose-built vessels engineered for strength, stability, performance and longevity.

Operating from a waterfront manufacturing facility at Thornlands, Aluminium Marine Australia specialises in large-format aluminium vessels, typically ranging from 10 to 45 metres. These vessels are used by commercial tourism operators, ferry services and private owners across Australia and international markets.

Built from marine grade aluminium, the company’s catamarans are prized for their durability, corrosion resistance and ability to operate efficiently in harsh coastal and offshore conditions. Aluminium catamarans have become the vessel of choice globally for commercial operators due to their reduced fuel consumption, lower lifecycle maintenance costs and superior stability – particularly important for passenger comfort and safety in rough seas.

Australia, and Queensland in particular, is internationally recognised for its aluminium boat building expertise. Queensland-built aluminium catamarans operate across the Pacific, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and Europe, supporting industries from eco tourism and reef research to ferry transport and offshore operations. Aluminium Marine Australia forms part of this globally competitive manufacturing ecosystem, exporting locally built vessels that support international tourism, trade and marine operations.

The Redlands Coast plays a critical role in enabling this success. Aluminium Marine Australia’s Thornlands facility is uniquely positioned directly on Eprapah Creek, providing sheltered deep water access for launching large vessels straight from the workshop into Moreton Bay. This eliminates costly overland transport and allows for real world sea trials in protected bay waters before delivery.

The surrounding marine precinct, skilled local workforce and proximity to Brisbane Port and international freight routes support Aluminium Marine Australia’s ability to service global clients while manufacturing in Australia. The location also allows vessels destined for export to be delivered efficiently to international shipping lanes or operated locally before deployment.

Beyond physical infrastructure, the Redlands Coast offers significant lifestyle advantages for highly skilled tradespeople and marine specialists. The combination of advanced manufacturing capability with waterfront access, reduced congestion and a bayside lifestyle helps attract and retain the specialist workforce essential to large scale vessel construction.

Aluminium Marine Australia’s operations demonstrate how export oriented advanced manufacturing can thrive on the Redlands Coast – blending industrial capability, environmental access and global connectivity.

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Why Redlands Coast

Redlands Coast offers rare advantages for marine manufacturing and export focused industries with direct access to water and close proximity to global ports.

Key advantages include:

  • Direct waterfront industrial land with sheltered deep water access
  • Proximity to Moreton Bay, allowing sea trials in real operating conditions
  • Access to Brisbane and international shipping routes
  • Strong marine, engineering and advanced manufacturing skills base
  • A lifestyle-driven location that attracts specialist trades and professionals

“We operate from the Redlands Coast and deliver vessels all over Australia and internationally. Having direct access to the water at Moreton Bay allows us to build, launch and test world class vessels efficiently, right from our workshop.”