‘Hall of Fame’ status for Empire Marina

by Jeni Bone on 31 Aug 2014 Empire Marina Bobbin Head in Sydney has been inducted into the newly created Australian ‘Marina Hall of Fame’ by the Marina Industries Association (MIA) at a ceremony held at the marina last week.

The Hall of Fame was created to recognise marinas that have consecutively won Australian Marina of the Year and are therefore ineligible to re-enter the competition for a period of four years.

Empire Marina Bobbin Head won Australian Marina of the Year in 2009/10 and again in 2011/12. The marina is rated 5 Gold Anchors and is certified as a Level 3 International Clean Marina and Fish Friendly Marina, making it one of the most highly awarded marinas in Australia. The marina is a 200 berth, full service marina.

The marina is also proactive with environmental initiatives including a large solar array, rainwater recovery and advanced pollution prevention. The marina is host to more than 50,000 visitors per year and the kiosk, bar and boat hire make the marina a vibrant and attractive destination for boaters and the local community.

In making the presentation MIA Executive Officer Colin Bransgrove said Empire Marina Bobbin Head was a most suitable marina to be the first to receive this prestigious recognition.

'The marina has been transformed into a state-of-the-art facility and attractive visitor destination under the leadership of Darren Vaux, Director of Empire Marina.

'The MIA marina awards supported by Club Marine provide valuable recognition of industry excellence. The awards also create a benchmark for other marinas to aspire to. Hall of Fame status for Empire Marina Bobbin Head puts the spotlight on the level of marina facilities and services that are proving very successful in the Sydney market place.'

Darren Vaux, Director of Empire Marina said 'We are delighted to be the first marina inducted into the Australian Marina Hall of Fame. In the end, it’s all about the customer, listening to what they want and striving to exceed their expectations through a process of continuing improvement. This award further motivates us to stay on the top of our game.' he said.

Vaux told MBW that induction into the Hall of Fame is 'a natural progression' for the marina.

'We are humbled and delighted,' he said. 'It’s very satisfying, but what was more so was that despite the rain, on a Wednesday morning at 10am, 80 customers turned up to celebrate with us. They braved the weather. Our customers take pride in ownership and the sense of location. After all, why are we here? To make life easy and enjoyable. That’s the measure of everything we do. We want our customers to come down the hill, into the National Park, breathe a sigh of relief and feel relaxed. We provide a sheltered anchorage, it’s easy to get out and in, and the stress just peels off.'

Vaux has been in charge of the marina for eight years, taking over from the Halvorsens in June 2006.

'This award was for the marina overall, Empire and its tenants, staff, contractors, customers. We thank them all for their patronage and their fantastic work over the years.'

Customers at the marina have a great sense of community. The Bobbin Head Cruising Club has been based there for over 30 years. 'People can be as social as they want,' explains Vaux, adding that the marina is a destination in its own right.

'We offer hire boats with a small fleet of tinnies so people can come down for the day, for a coffee or picnic and get out on the water. We welcome 50,000 visitors per year. There are boat owners and their friends, day trippers coming her to bush walk – all of them enjoying the boating lifestyle. We aim to show it’s accessible and friendly. Anybody can hire a tinny and enjoy the waterways. You can sit and feed the fish and buy a coffee, or just enjoy the view. We aim to embrace all sorts of people and get them to feel comfortable, enjoy the atmosphere and energy.'

According to Vaux, there are several aspects that make Empire unique. 'Our location in the National Park is unique. We are just half an hour’s drive from the Harbour Bridge and yet, we’re literally in the middle of nowhere.

'We have deep water, surrounded by large hills to 200m, sheltered and scenic, east-west marina configuration, so it’s a sun trap. The whole building faces north. What we have here is a micro climate. We have invested heavily in our facilities, technology and what people need: easy berthing, wide fairways and wide berths.

'Then there are the land-based facilities, the trades, capacity for servicing, security, overnight manned security as well as electronic. And the human element, the attention to detail. For example, in the car park, the staff and tenants park at the first end of the car park so spaces are free. We provide really good trolleys – all the things that show we do care.'

Committed and experienced staff are at the heart of Empire Marina, says Vaux. 'We have great staff here. Stephen Smith our Marina Director retired and John Lawler took over. John is without a doubt one of the most experienced sailors and superyacht captains running a marina. He’s a shipwright by trade and has done 300,000 nautical miles at sea. We have worked hard to have a team with high level of experience and the marina is a sum of all those parts.

The role of the modern marina has evolved significantly, as Vaux explains. 'We are committed to providing a place of relaxation for customers. It’s not just about boat storage. A marina needs to facilitate the boating lifestyle, everything they need. We provide a sense of community as well, so that people feel engaged with the facility. Marinas are often a region’s major employer, so they’re a real part of the fabric of the community.'

In addition to this service to the customer, the role of a marina is to provide leadership in OH&S and fire compliance, environmental awareness and pollution prevention and create a clean habitat for marine ecology. 'Marinas no longer have an image of negative impact. We are all taking steps to reduce our footprint. At Empire, we have a well-established solar array, water capture off the hardstand sheds so the boats are washed with rainwater, LED lighting and many other initiatives. Our next phase of evolution will be to come up with more ways we can we do things to enhance the environment.'

Technology will play a large role in the next phase of the marina as well, says Vaux. 'We plan to invest in a wi-fi system across the whole marina, so that our customers can access broadband wi-fi within their boats. That’s something these days that is a great convenience for people.

That is always our driver: How can we improve? We are in the process of reconfiguring our website with webcams and live weather stations, so that all the information will be there.'

The Hall of Fame certificate will take pride of place on the marina’s wall of achievements and accolades, alongside the Marine of the Year Awards and qualifications of the team.

More at www.empiremarinas.com.au