About Us.

Centrally located with deep maritime roots, Calwell is the trusted choice for world-class marine services in Australasia.

Calwell is built on the foundations of the Calwell Slipway, a trusted name in vessel maintenance. We service vessels up to 2,400 tonnes. Our slipway is also an MPI Transitional Facility, allowing us to safely clean vessels arriving from international waters. Our Cimolai Travel Lift and Hardstand area caters for vessels up to 550 tonnes. If you require Customs Clearance, Port Nelson is a Port of First Arrival where you can be cleared to enter New Zealand, before coming across to Calwell.

Our location provides on-site access to several internationally recognised marine engineering firms, electrical and communication contractors, fabricators, surveyors, sailmakers, riggers, upholsterers, and cabinetmakers. Situated just a 10-minute walk from the CBD and with easy access to a wide range of modern support services, doing business in Nelson is both convenient and practical.

Nelson is home to outstanding mountain biking, you can hike the famous Abel Tasman National Park or visit stunning Lake Rotoiti while your vessel is on site – all within driving distance to our facility. Accommodation and fabulous restaurants catering for all budgets are located close by.

Meet the Team

  • Peter Carmichael

    SITE MANAGER

    Pete brings extensive marine, operational and leadership experience, most recently serving as Deputy Harbourmaster at Nelson City Council and has spent time on the water in Europe, and as a Marine Tutor.

  • Andy Wills

    SLIP-MASTER

    Andy is part of the furniture at Calwell, with over 30 years of service on the slipway, having lifted hundreds of vessels out of the water. With an engineering background he is a trained boilermaker.

  • Nik Cook

    MARINE FACILITIES OPERATOR

    After years on the sea, now returned to the to land, Nik knows fishing vessels inside and out having an on-water engineering background.

  • Grant Neumann

    MARINE FACILITIES OPERATOR

    Grant joined Calwell from the Port Nelson Container Terminal where he has operated all manner of container handling machinery, he’s no stranger to operating big plant and loves spending his days by the water.

  • Alex Haughey

    MARINE OPERATIONS MANAGER - PORT NELSON

    Alex oversees Calwell, along with the Port Nelson Marine and Security teams. Before joining Port Nelson in 2022, Alex was the first female appointed in command of an RNZN vessel, and was involved in the RV RENA recovery operation and the Christchurch earthquake recovery.

Our History.

1964

1965

1970

1989

The completed, now upgraded 1,220-tonnes Slipway, was renamed by the Board ‘Calwell Slipway’, due to the difficult and painstaking work by the Engineer - Daniel Calwell. The first vessel to use the Calwell Slipway was the Nelson Harbour Board dredge Tasman Bay, on 26 May 1970.

The Nelson Harbourboard was disbanded - Port Nelson Limited commences business, and as a result, the Calwell Slipway and the small slipway beside it, were sold to private enterprise.

2013

2017

After almost 25 years of private ownership, Port Nelson took over the Calwell Slipway once again.

The Calwell Slipway Remediation Project began, reclaiming approximately 5,000m2 of land adjacent to the slipway. Over the course of the remediation, 32,516 cubic metres of sediment was dredged.

2021

The small slipway was purchased by Port Nelson and decommissioned in preparation for redevelopment. The development of a hardstand, a redeveloped finger berth, and the purchase of a Cimolai Mobile Boat Hoist were co-funded by Port Nelson, Nelson City Council, and Central Government, administered through the Kanoa Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit.

2026

The Nelson Harbour Board prepared an 81‑tonne launch slipway, positioned parallel to and on the eastern side of a planned 1,016‑tonne slipway. The smaller slipway measured 131 metres in length. Arrangements were also made to allow vessels to be moved into adjoining leaseholds, and two marine engineering firms quickly took up occupancy.

The site for the 1,016‑tonne slipway was excavated, and 1,931 tonnes of gravel were laid to stabilise the ground. Components from the Arahura gold dredge, dismantled in Greymouth, were purchased by the Board for approximately £500 and repurposed for use as the main haul winch. By 1967, the approach jetty had been completed, and prestressed concrete piles for the underwater section had been acquired.

Calwell was officially opened by Nelson City Council Deputy Mayor Pete Rainey, Tasman District Council Deputy Mayor Brent Maru, and Port Nelson CEO Matt McDonald, on the 17th of April 2026, after the successful commissioning of the Mobile Boat Hoist a few weeks prior.