We are proud to announce that Port Denarau Marina has earned both the International Marina of the Year and the Community Support Initiative awards through Marina Industries Association (MIA) for 2017. Port Denarau Marina were also runners up for Innovation by a Marina. No stranger to the MIA Awards, Port Denarau Marina was in the spotlight taking home the most awards and putting Fiji on the map once again, retaining our title for International Marina for 4 years in a row.
These awards were presented at the Marine17 Conference in Sydney and Fiji was the buzz around this internationally attended event. This is great for Fiji, something all of Fiji can be proud of, and bodes very well for the future of the country’s fast expanding yachting industry.
Winners – International Marina of the Year 2015 – 2018
Our constant strive for excellence and advancement helps to set Port Denarau Marina from other marinas both nationally and internationally. We are not talking here of purely financial gains from berthing and hauling out boats or customer satisfaction, although of course these are important. We are talking about our integration into the community, creating a sense of belonging and family within our staff, improving the lives of those we can in Fiji and assisting the Government and Non Government Organisations with our knowledge to move Fiji forward.
Winners – Community Support Initiative 2017-2018
After assisting and working closely with Sea Mercy US since its inception, in December 2015 Port Denarau Marina became the founding partner of Sea Mercy (Fiji).
Sea Mercy (Fiji) is a Fiji registered charity with a simple vision and mission to “stand in the gap” with service delivery vessels, trained volunteers, support equipment, and services as our island nation partners develop their “outer island” infrastructures. Sea Mercy has been instrumental in being first responders for assistance to the remote Lomaiviti Group following Cyclone Winston and has continued to provide assistance within the South Pacific through their Floating Health Care Clinics, Disaster Response and Recovery Fleets and Global Mercy Armada.
Our goal moving forward is to continue to improve the lives of the people of the South Pacific.
As well as continuing to administer our Floating Health Care clinics we have teamed up with the Organic Matters Foundation to develop our RISE (Remote Island Soils Education) program, which begins in August this year as a trial. The program will consist of soils and farming training to ensure sustainable livelihoods, economic development and self-sufficiency for remote islands while preserving their cultural heritage.
Finalist – Innovation by a Marina 2017-2018
Port Denarau Marina operates because tourists want to come and experience Fiji’s beautiful marine environment. For this reason, the protection of this environment is constantly at the forefront of our decision making process.
In May 2017 Port Denarau Marina was the first marina in the South Pacific to be awarded a Level 3 International Clean Marina and Fish Friendly Program accreditation. The Clean Marina Programs are designed to bring awareness to marine facilities and boaters regarding environmentally friendly practices intended to protect and preserve the natural environment. Port Denarau Marina has demonstrated a commitment in implementing and maintaining a host of best management practices. In partnership with Sunergise out of NZ, Port Denarau Marina has installed the largest solar power plant marina installation in the World. Port Denarau Marina is closely involved with an Australian based charity called “It’s Time Foundation”. Through this foundation we have been able to provide solar power to fourteen island schools to date under the heading, “replacing CO2 with education”.
Andrew Chapman, Chairman MIA (L), Cynthia Rasch, General Manager Port Denarau Marina (M), Simon McLean, CEO Club Marine (R
Cynthia Rasch, Port Denarau General Manager was present to receive the awards at Marina Industries Association Gala dinner in Sydney on the 31st of July.
Cynthia Rasch said, “It is gratifying to be recognized amongst our industry peers. The awards are a testament to the dedication and hard work put in by our team to continue to excel in customer service and to be able to give back to the community. We feel it is a reflection of the values we uphold at Port Denarau Marina.”
Nigel Skeggs as Board Director congratulated the team “What a proud night it was for myself, our staff, the marina and Fiji. Being honoured in such a way by our industry peers really vindicates the huge amount of work and the struggles we have had, and are still going through, to get to where we are today. We have shown the industry and the international yachting community that Fiji can do it just as well, if not better, and I am proud of our teams huge effort over the years to develop not only world class infrastructure, but best in practice services and techniques focused around minimising our impact on the environment. We have a great team who go above and beyond to ensure exceptional levels of customer service and this award against such fierce competition, for the second awards in a row, is a real credit to their commitment and hard work. Four years as ‘Best International Marina’ is huge for us all.”
Nigel Skeggs as President Sea Mercy Fiji, “To be recognised for our work with Sea Mercy is also a great honour. When the people of Fiji needed our help after Winston, our customers, friends and staff stepped it up and made a huge difference to many peoples lives. The results on the field were praise enough but I hope this award will assist in highlighting Sea Mercy’s fantastic ongoing work as the organisation ramps up to the next stage of our growth, expanding our assistance projects throughout the Pacific. We are very proud of our strategic partnership with Sea Mercy and encourage all to find out more and get involved.”
As the premier marina facility in Fiji, Port Denarau continues to raise its standards internationally, as well as add to its list new and exciting products.
The latest addition to Port Denarau Marina has been the extension of our private jetty, extension of our hardstand facility and soon to commence with the addition of check-in counters for our commercial operations.