Use the Frances Bay Marine Facility
The Frances Bay Marine Facility is located on Crown land and is administered under the Crown Lands Act 1992.
It provides amenities for:
- fishing, pearling and small marine operators
- recreational users.
To use these amenities, you must have a valid Crown land licence and an approved trading account.
Vessels without a valid licence will be refused access and directed to leave immediately.
All personnel in operational areas must wear personal protective equipment. This includes safety boots, high vis and safety helmets (for crane operations).
What you can use
Commercial users can use all of the following facilities except Sadgroves Creek moorings.
Recreational users can only use the Sadgroves Creek moorings and careening poles.
Get the aerial photo map of the Frances Bay Marine Facility PDF (541.0 KB).
Frances Bay Mooring Basin
- Also known as the ‘duck pond’.
- Primarily used for the berthage of commercial vessels and fishing preparation and unloading.
- Recreational vessels are not permitted except vessels that are too large for recreational marinas.
- Has capacity for 85 vessels and is serviced by a 35m by 16m lock (tide dependant).
- Pen sizes are 20m, 25m and 30m.
- Shore power and potable water supplies are available as well as ablution blocks.
- 160m service wharf is available for the unloading of catch and light cargo operations.
- Bunkering (fuelling) is not permitted.
- Minor maintenance and repairs may be conducted if approved.
Fishermans Wharf
- A 200m wharf that is:
- mainly used to bunker (refuel) and resupply vessels
- open to the general public and is a popular fishing spot.
- Boasts one unleaded and 5 diesel bowsers as well as potable water.
- Shore power is available for special circumstances.
- Extended berthing is not permitted as space is reserved for operational access.
- Light cargo operations may be conducted for franna type cranes of:
- 15t (from the 20m to 100m marks)
- 20t (100m to 200m marks).
- Bunkering via truck is permitted for a single trailer (e.g. no B-doubles).
- General public must obey signage and remain outside the yellow lines and safety barriers) when vessels are alongside.
Raptis Wharf
- A 50m wharf that is perpendicular to Fishermans Wharf.
- Primarily used for bunkering and cargo operations.
- No services available.
Hornibrooks Pontoon
This is a small tidal pontoon used by small fishing and commercial vessels. It dries out at 4m tides.
Storage areas
The facility contains various storage areas for short, medium and long-term storage of marine industry equipment.
Sadgroves Creek moorings
- Consists of 28 fore-and-aft and 14 swing moorings - see aerial photo map PDF (210.8 KB).
- Some moorings dry out at low tide so a keeled vessel is not suitable.
- A vacant mooring does not mean it is available - the lessee of a mooring has the right to leave at any time and return to find it vacant.
- Regular surveys are conducted to identify vessels illegally occupying a mooring - they will be:
- dealt with under the Trespass Act 2023
- banned from applying for Crown land licence for 12 months.
Careening poles
These are available to commercial and recreational vessels up to 28m in length and under 40t.
They are used for light hull and propulsion maintenance.
Read the careening poles policy and checklist.
Apply for a Crown land licence
Licences are divided into commercial and recreational, which allows each user group access to relevant facilities.
To apply for a Crown land licence, follow these steps:
Step 1. Fill in the application
Fill in the relevant application except part F. If more than 2 commercial vessels are required, you must also fill in the additional vessel form.
Commercial - Crown land licence application PDF (461.3 KB)
Commercial - Crown land licence application DOCX (229.7 KB)
Additional vessel form PDF (121.6 KB)
Additional vessel form DOCX (64.8 KB)
Recreational - Crown land licence application PDF (363.3 KB)
Recreational - Crown land licence application DOCX (173.5 KB)
Step 3. Attach supporting documents
With your application, attach:
- photo ID of applicant
- certificate of currency for hull and indemnity insurance of at least:
- $20 million - if commercial
- $10 million - if recreational
- signed risk assessment, job safety analysis or safety management system (commercial only):
- you can use the safe work method statement template
- colour photographs of the vessel(s) that clearly identify it (recreational only).
Step 4. Submit application
Submit your application with supporting documents by email to fbmb.dli@nt.gov.au.
Under the Crown Lands Act 1992, the manager of the Frances Bay Marine Facility has the authority to approve or decline applications.
If approved, you can request to book the facility. Find out how to book it below.
Fees
See schedule of charges below as at 1 October 2024. A day equals a 24-hour period.
You can also get a printable copy of the schedule of charges PDF (119.6 KB).
Berthing
The following fees apply to berthing at Fishermans Wharf, Raptis Wharf and Hornibrooks Pontoon.
| Item | Unit | Daily fee (GST inclusive) |
|---|---|---|
| Booked fishing and commercial vessels (first 8 hours are free for unloading catch) | LOA | $1.43 |
| Non-booked commercial vessels | GRT | $0.86 |
| Non-booked fishing vessels | LOA | $4.31 |
Pen rental, lock movement, electricity and water
The following charges apply for Frances Bay Mooring Basin.
Pen rental for fishing and commercial vessels
| Item | Unit | Daily fee (GST inclusive) |
|---|---|---|
| 20m mooring basin pen - permanent | Per day | $16.95 |
| 25m mooring basin pen - permanent | Per day | $21.69 |
| 30m mooring basin pen - permanent | Per day | $25.76 |
| 20m mooring basin pen - casual | Per day | $37.41 |
| 25m mooring basin pen - casual | Per day | $47.60 |
| 30m mooring basin pen - casual | Per day | $56.69 |
Pen rental for pleasure craft and use of service wharf by non-resident vessels
| Item | Daily fee (GST inclusive) |
|---|---|
| Daily rate | $172.22 |
After-hours lock movement
These fees apply from 6:30pm to 6:30am, Monday to Friday.
| Item | Daily fee (GST inclusive) |
|---|---|
| Prior booking | $332.60 |
| No prior booking | $515.50 |
Electricity and water
Electricity and water are charged at the rate set by Power and Water and Jacana Energy.
| Item | Unit | Daily fee (GST inclusive) |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity connection | Per connection | $38.93 |
| Electricity adaptor | Per day | $33.23 |
| Electricity use | Per kilowatt | $0.2972 |
| Water connection | Per connection | $58.38 |
Careening poles and moorings
| Item | Unit | Daily fee (GST inclusive) |
|---|---|---|
| Mooring at Sadgroves Creek | Per day | $3.41 |
| Use of Hornibrooks careening poles | Per day | $15.86 |
Storage areas
Storage areas are available at Hornibrooks Pontoon and Frances Bay Mooring Basin.
The first 4 days of storage are free of charge for cargo clearance. All storage fees are per square metre.
| Item | Unit | Daily fee (GST inclusive) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year or more | Per day | $0.32 |
| 3 months or more at Hornibrooks or the mooring basin | Per day | $0.41 |
| Casual | Per day | $1.69 |
| Mooring basin hardstand | Per day | $1.94 |
| Hornibrooks hardstand | Per day | $1.94 |
Equipment hire
These fees apply to all locations.
| Item | Unit | Daily fee (GST inclusive) |
|---|---|---|
| Forklift and operator | Per hour | $212.08 |
| Operator only | Per hour | $128.54 |
| Administration fee for using external providers | N/A | 17% |
Oil spill clean up
The charge for cleaning up oil spills is the full cost of recovery plus an administration fee.
Before you book
To monitor and regulate activities on the facility, use and submit the following documents when you book:
- simple lift plan - for crane operations:
- traffic management plan - for any activity that impacts vehicle or people movements e.g. bunkering by truck, crane operations and maintenance:
- request to conduct hot work - for any activity that involves the risk of fire:
How to book
Bookings are essential to ensure the efficient use of the facility and maximise availability to all users.
Vessels who have not booked will be charged a higher non-booking fee.
Frances Bay Mooring Basin
- Lock - call 0428 207 612 (6:30am to 3:30pm) or 0427 910 220 (3:30pm to 6:30am) - bookings will incur a charge if:
- made after 3:30pm for movements between 3:30pm and 6:30pm
- between 6:30pm and 6:30am the next morning.
- Service wharf - call the wharf supervisor on 0428 207 612
- Pen - fill in and submit the resident pen request form PDF (113.1 KB) or DOCX (65.2 KB) by email to fbmb.dli@nt.gov.au:
- resident pens are allocated to a specific vessel but if this isn't possible due to operational needs, a suitable alternative will be provided
- casual pens are issued as required.
Fishermans Wharf, Raptis Wharf, Hornibrooks Pontoon and careening poles
Vessels may use an available berth, but if another vessel has a future booking, you may need to be flexible.
To book, contact the small ships scheduler by calling 08 8922 0617 or emailing smallships.scheduler@nt.gov.au.
Office hours are between 7:30am to 3:51pm, Monday to Friday.
For bookings outside of these hours, leave a voice message or send an email before berthing. Your vessel may occupy an available berth but other vessels may have a future booking.
Frances Bay Mooring Basin and Hornibrooks Pontoon storage areas
Call the wharf supervisor on 0428 207 612.
Once confirmed, fill in and submit the storage agreement form.
Storage agreement form PDF (151.7 KB)
Storage agreement form DOCX (65.5 KB)
Sadgroves Creek moorings
Bookings are not required for Sadgroves Creek moorings as these are allocated as required.
What you can use
Commercial users can use all of the following facilities except Sadgroves Creek Moorings.
Recreational users can only use the Sadgroves Creek Moorings and Careening Poles.
Get the map of the Frances Bay Marine Facility.
Fees
See schedule of charges below as at 1 October 2024.
A day equals a 24-hour period.
Berthing
The following fees apply to berthing at Fishermans Wharf, Raptis Wharf and Hornibrooks Pontoon.
| Item | Unit | Daily fee (GST inclusive) |
|---|---|---|
| Booked fishing and commercial vessels (first 8 hours are free for unloading catch) | LOA | $1.43 |
| Non-booked commercial vessels | GRT | $0.86 |
| Non-booked fishing vessels | LOA | $4.31 |
Pen rental, lock movement and electricity and water
The following charges apply for Frances Bay Mooring Basin.
Pen rental for fishing and commercial vessels
| Item | Unit | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 20m mooring basin pen - permanent | Per day | $16.95 |
| 25m mooring basin pen - permanent | Per day | $21.69 |
| 30m mooring basin pen - permanent | Per day | $25.76 |
| 20m mooring basin pen - casual | Per day | $37.41 |
| 25m mooring basin pen - casual | Per day | $47.60 |
| 30m mooring basin pen - casual | Per day | $56.69 |
Pen rental for pleasure craft and use of service wharf by non-resident vessels
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Daily rate | $172.22 |
After-hours lock movement
These fees apply from 6:30pm to 6:30am, Monday to Friday.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Prior booking | $332.60 |
| No prior booking | $515.50 |
Electricity and water
Electricity and water are charged at the rate set by Power and Water and Jacana Energy.
| Item | Unit | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity connection | Per connection | $38.93 |
| Electricity adaptor | Per day | $33.23 |
| Electricity use | Per kilowatt | $0.2972 |
| Water connection | Per connection | $58.38 |
Careening poles and moorings
| Item | Unit | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Mooring at Sadgroves Creek | Per day | $3.41 |
| Use of Hornibrooks careening poles | Per day | $15.86 |
Storage areas
Hardstand vessel storage is available at Hornibrooks Pontoon and Frances Bay Mooring Basin.
The first 4 days of storage are free of charge for cargo clearance. All storage fees are per square metre.
| Item | Unit | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year or more | Per day | $0.32 |
| 3 months or more at Hornibrooks or the mooring basin | Per day | $0.41 |
| Casual | Per day | $1.69 |
| Mooring basin hardstand | Per day | $1.94 |
| Hornibrooks hardstand | Per day | $1.94 |
Equipment hire
These fees apply to all locations.
| Item | Unit | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Forklift and operator | Per hour | $212.08 |
| Operator only | Per hour | $128.54 |
| Administration fee for using external providers | N/A | 17% |
Oil spill clean up
The charge for cleaning up oil spills is the full cost of recovery plus an administration fee.
Apply for a Crown land licence
Licences are divided into commercial and recreational, which allows each user group access to relevant facilities.
To apply for a Crown land licence, follow these steps:
Step 1. Read the guide
Read the Guide to Applying for a Crown Land Licence.
Guide to Applying for a Crown Land Licence
Guide to Applying for a Crown Land Licence
Step 2. Fill in application
Fill in the relevant application except part F. If more than two commercial vessels are required, you must also fill in the additional vessel form.
Commercial - Crown Land licence application
Commercial - Crown Land licence application
Additional vessel form
Additional vessel form
Recreational - Crown Land licence application
Recreational - Crown Land licence application
Step 3. Attach supporting documents
With your application, attach:
- photo ID of applicant
- certificate of currency for hull and indemnity insurance of at least:
- $20 million if commercial
- $10 million if recreational
- signed risk assessment, job safety analysis or safety management system (if commercial):
- you can use the safe work method statement template
- colour photographs of the vessel(s) that clearly identify it (if recreational).
Step 4. Submit application
Submit your application with supporting documents by email to fbmb.dipl@nt.gov.au.
Under the Crown Lands Act 1992, the manager of the Frances Bay Marine Facility has the authority to approve or decline applications.
If approved, you can request to book the facility. Find out how to book it below.
Before you book
To monitor and regulate activities on the facility, use and submit the following documents when you book:
- simple lift plan - for crane operations
- traffic management plan - for any activity that impacts vehicle or people movements e.g. bunkering by truck, crane operations and maintenance
- hot works permit - for any activity that involves the risk of fire.
How to book
Bookings are essential to ensure the efficient use of the facility and maximise availability to all users.
Vessels who have not booked will be charged a higher non-booking fee.
Frances Bay Mooring Basin
- Lock - bookings will incur a charge if made after 3:30pm for movements between 3:30pm and 6:30am and 6:30am and 3:30pm:
- 0428 207 612 (between 6:30am to 3:30pm)
- 0427 910 220 (between 3:30pm to 6:30am)
- Service wharf - call the wharf supervisor on 0428 207 612
- Pen - fill in and submit the resident pen request form by email to fbmb.dipl@nt.gov.au:
- resident pens are allocated to a particular vessel but may not always be possible and a suitable alternative will be given
- casual pens are issued as required
Fishermans Wharf, Raptis Wharf, Hornibrooks Pontoon and Careening Poles
Contact the small ships scheduler by calling 08 8922 0617 or emailing smallships.scheduler@nt.gov.au.
Office hours are between 7:30am to 3:51pm, Monday to Friday.
For bookings outside of these hours, leave a voice message or send an email prior to berthing.
Vessels may occupy an available berth but other vessels may have made a future booking for that berth.
Sadgroves Creek Moorings
Bookings are not required for Sadgroves Creek Moorings as these are allocated as required.
Storage areas
Call the wharf supervisor on 0428 207 612.
Once confirmed, fill in and submit the storage agreement form.
Stakeholder notices
Notices are issued from time-to-time to notify stakeholders of any issues that may affect their operations.
In-force notices will appear below as they become available.
Contact
Frances Bay Marine Facility
28 Frances Bay Drive
Darwin NT 0800
fbmb.dipl@nt.gov.au
GPO Box 1680
Darwin NT 0801
Phone: 08 8922 0619
Give feedback about this page.
Share this page:
URL copied!