The search for Sydney’s third cruise port has come down to two options – Wollongong or Newcastle

• The search for another Sydney cruise terminal has been discussed for years.
• A committee has been formed by the NSW government to advise on a new location.
• They meet next month with the only options Newcastle or Wollongong – with one looking like a clear stand out.

The NSW government advisory panel created to decide on what will become Sydney’s third cruise port is set to meet in December, and Cruise Passenger has been told that the search is down to two main contenders. 

At the Australian Cruise Association Conference, it was said that the only two realistic options at the moment for a third port are Port Kembla in Wollongong and Newcastle. With Sydney set to reach cruise capacity by 2030 or 2032, a decision is needed quickly to be able to prepare infrastructure in time, and these two options of Wollongong and Newcastle appear to be the last options left. 

While options have been floated for years, such as Garden Island, where the military operates, or in Port Botany, these proposals have continually proved unsuitable. Many believe the time has come for decisions to be made.

Jeremy Wilshire, general manager of Visit Wollongong told Cruise Passenger: “As stated at the cruise association conference, realistically, in terms of current assets, the two stand-out options are Wollongong and Newcastle. They’ll go down the path of assessing those in terms of infrastructure the industry needs, competing priorities and what is most suitable.

“There’s a lot of consideration and we certainly acknowledge the existing port usage and the challenges of bringing in another sector, but we feel that can be planned and overcome, without necessarily compromising existing commercial uses.”

By far the biggest criticism of Wollongong’s bid to be the new port is that it’s 90-minutes down the road from Sydney. But Newcastle means adding another 45 to 60 minutes onto the already long drive. 

The other key difference between the two options currently is that Wollongong has been promoting its bid and made public its official prospectus. Nothing has come out of Newcastle suggesting an eagerness to become the new port.

While Newcastle has shown a keenness towards cruising in general, it has made no official communications suggesting it is launching a serious bid to be the third-port. 

Famous ports around the world like Rome and Paris have ports over an hour from the city centre, but the two-and-a-half journey from Newcastle could be pushing it.

Lord Mayor of Wollongong and Taskforce Chair Tania Brown has previously strongly thrown her support behind the proposal.

“As the cruise industry continues to grow in NSW and there is increasing pressure on existing cruise ship infrastructure, there’s a golden opportunity for us to work together with government and industry to put the plans in place to help secure the future of cruise in NSW.

“Yes, there are infrastructure improvements that would be needed to support a cruise terminal in our city, but this isn’t a prospectus for change overnight.

“This is about securing the long-term future of cruise in NSW. With cruise visitation in NSW forecast to grow to 2.3 million passengers per annum by 2033, we are setting out our long-term intentions and saying ‘we believe we are the right choice’.”

With the search for a new port already having been discussed for decades, many in the industry are feeling that we’re well overdue for a decision.

Of the two options suggested there appears to be a clear standout, and unless any other alternative can be suggested soon, it’s surely time for the committee to make a decision next month and get things moving.