A plan to save Botany Bay from the state government building Sydney second terminal, has been put forward by a Randwick councillor.
Labor councillor Danny Said will present a motion to council later this month, to place both sites on the state’s heritage list to stop the cruise terminal developments at Yarra Bay and Molineaux Point.
Ruling out the Navy’s base of Garden Island, the NSW Government outlined in its Cruise Development Plan, that it intends to build a cruise terminal at Yarra Bay which would have the potential to berth two ships, while Molineaux Point would also be able to accommodate two megaships.
Cr Said hopes the heritage listing of both sites will make it more difficult to build the terminals, and says the community will be ruined by the massive development.
“While we’re not against tourism or cruise ships, we don’t believe that the position of these two terminals is right for not only our area, but for Sydney. Garden Island is the natural choice, due to its proximity to the city and sailing into Port Botany will be an eyesore. What cruisers want to see is the beauty of our city when they sail through the heads,” he said.
“What people don’t realise is that in our council area, we don’t have the infrastructure to potentially cater for thousands of extra people coming in and out. There is only one road in, there will be a sea wall that needs to be built in order to protect the beach as well as extra dredging.”
But Patricia Forsyth, the executive director of the Sydney Business Chamber penned a letter to the Southern Courier and said the community needs to be open to the idea of the terminals and to work with the cruise industry.
“With the ink barely dry on the Prime Minister’s letter ruling out Garden Island for cruise ships to co-locate with the Australian Navy it is sad to read that a campaign has already commenced to oppose any development of a cruise terminal anywhere in Botany Bay,” she wrote.
“Cruising is an important sector within the visitor economy and is a driver of jobs and economic diversification and is source of much pleasure for many Australians.
“Surely a better approach from the local community would be to engage with those doing an assessment of terminal sites and engage with the cruise sector to work with each and understand the various scenarios.
“The local community is a key stakeholder in the discussion but rather than outright opposition perhaps a better starting point is engagement with the cruise sector.”
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Botany Bay is a terrible idea for so many reasons. This would require a lot of dredging and construction of breakwaters as the bay is very close to the open sea with major currents and swells whitewashing over the bay. The dreading would not only destroy Yarra Beach but lead to the destruction of other pristine beaches. The history of dredging in Botany Bay has caused massive coastal erosion. But lets put the environmental arguments to one side because this Government doesn’t care about that when there are profits to be made. The biggest issues is its likely impacts on the safe and reliable operation of our busiest port and the airport. These mega ships would bring in 8000 people per ship which would lead to massive congestion of already clogged roads in the area. The height of the ships would likely penetrate protected air space. The berths would be close to bulk liquid storage facilities, posing a public safety risk. Please think again. This is the dumbest idea ever.
I am from Sydney and I love cruising but to build a terminal in Botany Bay is a BIG Mistake, just going to ones cruise ship will be a nightmare in traffic and top it with the traffic for those people going to the airport, it’s a nightmare. I think our visitor will love to see our beautiful city not our industrial area.
Those of us who have overseas friends who have sailed into Sydney Harbour know that Port Botany is not the appropriate location for the new Cruise Terminal/s!
To listen to those friends excitedly telling of first their excited anticipation at waiting to sail into Sydney Harbour and then recounting the experience of having done it says all anyone needs to know about where the ships should be berthing.
The Federal Govt should have done a deal with the major Cruise Lines go fund or part fund the relocation of Garden Island Naval Base to Newcastle or Jervis Bay.
The Naval facilities are not critically important to Sydney and either of the locations I’ve mentioned (there may well be others) would still see NSW keep this important infrastructure.
Another option that could be considered would be to move Garden Island to Walsh Bay as we don’t have Naval ships that can’t move under the Harbour Bridge.
Bottom line is no Cruise or Liner passenger wants to sail into industrial Sydney! They want and expect to sail in seeing the gorgeous Harbour, the Opera House, Harbour Bridge etc.
The Port Botany option must be stopped!
I have no vested interest as I’m a Blue Mountains resident.
Garden Island is the logical choice for a cruise terminal. The
heirachy in the Navy are being too precious about remaining in the middle of Sydney The Navy should relocate to Newcastle or Darwin where they are better prepared to guard our shores.
We had perfect Terminal in non-Naval wharves at Woolloomooloo if the then Government had had ANY foresight as absolute waterfront should be reserved for maritime use & public access NOT private housing & commercial development.
Botany Bay is definitely not he right place for the cruise terminal. Turnbull and the Federal government should tell the navy to pull their heads in and go to Jervis Bay so as not to be a threat/ target in the middle of Sydney. Garden Island has a lot of the infrastructure needed for the cruise industry and these cruise ships would look a whole lot better than the old rusty ships now moored there. Jervis Bay was enlarged and improved during the Whitlam years so the navy could be moved there so there is no reason except for the admiral’s stubbornness (I have read his determination to stay at GI) that is keeping the navy where it is and not where it should be.
Perhaps these protesters against a cruise terminal in Botany Bay should be reminded that Captain Cook was the first ‘cruiser’ to visit Botany Bay nearly 250 years ago.
I have to admit that I have cruised into and out of Sydney harbour at least 15 times and it is still a thrill.
However with cruising continuing to increase and bigger ships coming to Australia, a new cruise terminal on the eastern side of the ‘Bridge’ might be prudent.
Councillor Danny Said is right in opposing Yarra Bay & Molineaux Point as the site for a 2 berth cruise terminal. A huge breakwater would have to be erected to protect the area. You only have to go back a few decades when the Paragon Restaurant at Yarra Bay was washed away by huge seas.
As our Prime Minister has made his Captains call re Garden Island, may I suggest that the construction of a dual cruise terminal similar to Singapore’s Marina Bay be built off Point Piper. This may change his attitude to the more cost effective Garden Island site.
I think putting a cruise terminal in Port Botany is utterly ridiculous! No-one arriving on a cruise ship wants to go all the way out there. They want to sail into Sydney Harbour which is one of the most beautiful harbours in the world.
As far as the navy at garden keeping Sydney safe, I believe it is attracting danger and it would be better if they were in a place where they could get out to open waters more quickly.
how come they didn’t think about this when they were redeveloping Woolomoloo
Please do not extend your cruise ship terminal in Sydney. It will be fantastic news for Melbourne to bring in thousand of extra passengers off the Mega Ships and all there money to the sporting capital of Australia. Sydney loss Melbourne’s Gain Yeah