Northern Australia marine transport provider Sea Swift has continued to invest in local communities in the Northern Territory by establishing two remote depot agencies in Arnhem Land.
The company’s new Maningrida depot is based at Dhukurrdji Lodge, which is owned by the Dhukurrdji clan.
The Galiwinku depot is based at Arnhem Electrical Contractors’ facility, which since 1995 has grown into one of the Northern Territory’s most reputable service providers to remote locations.
Sea Swift has also invested in various types of mobile equipment – all road registered at each of the new depots – to ensure freight can be handled safely and serving as a backup to the company’s marine vessels.
Sea Swift General Manager Operations (NT) Scott Ezzy said Sea Swift now has a presence in four remote communities in the Northern Territory, including in Gove and Groote Eylandt.
“These two new remote depot locations are a long-term commitment to improve services to our loyal customers in East Arnhem and West Arnhem,” said Mr Ezzy.
“All four of our NT remote depots have locally-employed staff, who are based in community, and are not working on a fly-in, fly-out basis.
“With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, our remote depots are now playing a bigger role than ever before.
“Our larger customers still come and collect their freight direct from the barge landing with social distancing regulations, but our remote agents can collect all other freight and take it back to their respective yards for either collection or delivery.
“This helps keep interaction between barge crews and community members to a minimum. Our remote agents are now our frontline people in these communities.”
The remote depots both receive twice-weekly barge deliveries, with Maningrida on Sundays and Wednesdays, and Galiwinku on Mondays and Fridays.
“Sea Swift has been proudly servicing remote communities in the Northern Territory for over 50 years through the acquisition of Tiwi Barge Services and the assets of Toll/Perkins Shipping, and we’re always striving to improve our services,” added Mr Ezzy.
“We are ideally positioned to support, assist, and deliver to all customers in the region, from individuals to large national and international corporations.”
Sea Swift has many years of experience providing essential services and project freight in Northern Australia, and makes a significant contribution to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across the region.
Sea Swift operates throughout the region’s remote coastal and island communities, with depots in Darwin, Gove, Groote Eylandt, Maningrida, and Galiwinku in the Northern Territory, and Cairns, Weipa, Seisia, Horn Island, Badu Island, and Thursday Island in Queensland.
Find out more about Sea Swift and its services at www.seaswift.com.au and www.facebook.com/seaswiftaustralia