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SeaRoad Holdings

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SeaRoad Holdings Pty Ltd
Industry
PredecessorHolyman and Sons
Founded1890s
FounderWilliam Holyman
Headquarters
Devonport, Tasmania
,
Australia
Area served
Port Phillip Bay
Tasmania
Services
OwnerChas Kelly[1]
Number of employees
<400
Websitesearoad.net

SeaRoad Holdings Pty Ltd is an Australian company specialising in sea freight and transport services. It primarily operates in the maritime sector, providing shipping operations between the Australian mainland and the island state of Tasmania. Generally known as SeaRoad Shipping, or simply SeaRoad, the company offers services such as freight transportation and logistics solutions to support the movement of goods across the Sea Highway. The company is recognised for its fleet of vessels and its focus on efficiency and reliability in its transport services.

In 2021, SeaRoad added the charter vessel MV Liekut to its fleet to service the Tamar River in Tasmania,[2] and secured a contract with German shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) to build a new roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessel. Valued at over $161 million, the MV SeaRoad Mersey I features LNG propulsion and a capacity of 4,227 lane meters and is expected to be delivered in 2024.[3]

In 2022, SeaRoad launched a weekly trans-shipping service for Bass Island Line (BIL), linking King Island with the Australian mainland. This service, using MVs SeaRoad Mersey II and Liekut, replaced BIL’s previous Victorian port call and is part of SeaRoad’s broader strategy to improve efficiency and expand capacity.[4]

In July 2023, SeaRoad opened a $16 million warehouse in Kings Meadows, Tasmania. This 15,800 square metres (170,000 sq ft) facility, the largest in northern Tasmania, features advanced security systems and is strategically located to enhance accessibility and connectivity.[5]

History

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SeaRoad's origins trace back to the late 1890s when William Holyman and Sons began their Bass Strait shipping service.[6] Today, SeaRoad, now owned by Chas Kelly’s family in partnership with the Morris family, integrates blue water shipping, road transport, and container hire services, with a workforce of nearly 400 professionals across five locations in Tasmania and Melbourne.[1]

The SeaRoad Mersey II was taken out of service in early March 2017 to undergo repairs in Sydney due to damage to its hull's ceramic coatings. The ship, which had only been brought into service the previous year, was crucial in easing freight congestion across the Bass Strait, and was back in service by the following month. During its absence, the original SeaRoad Mersey I maintained the Sea Highway route to ensure continued freight operations in shipping fresh produce.[7]

Fleet

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RORO ship MV SeaRoad Mersey II in Fremantle, Western Australia

SeaRoad currently operates two ships dedicated to cargo shipping, running six days a week. The MV SeaRoad Mersey II, launched in 2016, is notable as Australia’s first coastal vessel to utilise LNG fuel and power technology. The MV Liekut, which joined the fleet in April 2021 under a three-year charter, will be replaced by a new SeaRoad vessel at the end of 2024.

Alongside its Bass Strait shipping operations, SeaRoad manages a substantial fleet of road transport and containers, as well as cargo-handling equipment across its terminals and depots. The company offers comprehensive ‘door-to-door’ services, including container transport, packing, unpacking, storage, and re-delivery.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Chas Kelly". National Road Transport Museum. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  2. ^ "TasPorts welcomes SeaRoad's MV Liekut to the Port of Devonport". TasPorts. 2 April 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  3. ^ Haynes, Alexandra (22 September 2021). "SeaRoad signs off on new $161 million vessel for 2023". Manufacturers' Monthly. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  4. ^ "SeaRoad Commences Bass Island Line Trans-shipping Service". Tasmanian Times. 16 March 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Logistics company SeaRoad opens largest facility in northern Tasmania". Australian Manufacturing. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  6. ^ Holyman, Robin. "Holyman Family". University of Tasmania. Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  7. ^ Kelly, Margot (1 March 2017). "Tasmanian freight ship Searoad Mersey II off to Sydney for repairs". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
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