Sydney’s bid for a third cruise terminal moved a tentative step closer today with a NSW government announcement of a “market engagement process” starting on two sites at Port Botany.
The announcement maintained the process “will consider and assess” options for an additional terminal at Yarra Bay or Molineux Point near Port Botany, with the cruise industry asked to assemble a case along with the port authority for what will be a major investment in Sydney’s future tourism growth.
The process is expected to take around three months.
Any signs of a solution in the long-running saga of Sydney’s struggling capacity to handle the expansion of cruise will be a huge relief for industry chiefs, who have been complaining for years about the lack of space for larger ships which won’t go under the bridge.
Sydney’s second terminal, White Bay, is on the west side of the bridge.
The industry, which creates $2.75 billion for the state’s economy each year, maintains growth is slowing because Sydney, the city overseas visitors want to sail into, can’t cope.
Cruise passenger numbers this year grew just 0.9 per cent at 1.34 million. Brisbane plans to open a new cruise terminal next year and lines like Royal Caribbean have dispersed ships to Melbourne because of capacity constraints.
But the news provoked an immediate reaction from councils around Botany, who are keen to try and thwart the new terminal before building begins.
The Commonwealth Government ruled out Garden Island as an option under Malcolm Turnbull’s Prime Ministership, leaving Port Botany as the only viable location for another terminal.
Cruise Lines International Association Australasia, the body which represents the industry, welcomed the announcement.
“Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) welcomes progress towards achieving a solution to Sydney’s current berthing capacity constraints, which are limiting growth in Australia’s cruise industry,” said a statement.
“The NSW Government’s announcement that it is beginning the market planning phase for the development of a third Sydney cruise ship terminal is a positive development that recognises the vital need for new infrastructure to support the cruise industry and the approximately 17,000 jobs it sustains across Australia.
“Additional berthing capacity is urgently needed in Sydney to ensure Australia’s cruise industry can continue to prosper into the future. Limits on available berthing space in Australia’s gateway port threaten cruise tourism growth not only in Sydney, but in destinations around Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.”
NSW Minister for Transport Andrew Constance and Minister for Tourism Stuart Ayres said the market engagement process will inform the next stage of delivering more capacity for Sydney’s growing cruise industry.
“The cruise industry creates $2.75 billion for the state’s economy each year. We’re expecting almost 1.6 million passengers this cruise season alone,” Mr Constance said. “This potential terminal at Port Botany would address the capacity constraints we’re seeing at the Overseas Passenger Terminal.”
Around 350 cruise ships will visit NSW this season, with the Majestic Princess and her 3,560 passengers the first to arrive in Sydney Harbour this morning.
“The cruise industry supports around 10,000 jobs and creates around $800 million in wages,” Mr Ayres said.
“This season we are welcoming 317 cruise ships to the Overseas Passenger Terminal and White Bay terminals, it would be great to have the option to welcome even more.”
A market engagement process is part of the first phase of the Detailed Business Case, which will be developed by Port Authority of NSW in collaboration with NSW Treasury
Detailed technical studies will consider the social and economic benefits, traffic and transport impacts, costs, heritage and environmental impacts, including recreational fishing, at both potential sites.
According to the statement, there will also be a strong emphasis on consulting with local stakeholders and the community – both of whom have been vocal in opposing expansion of shipping in Port Botany for fear or road congestion.
Bayside Council mayor Bill Saravinovski maintained opposition to the Port Botany proposal had been ignored.
“Council has already called on the State Government to reject Botany Bay as a destination for cruise ships,” Cr Saravinovski said.
“Unfortunately the government has not listened to stakeholders.
“Council will now vigorously engage in all parts of this process to ensure our residents are not further disadvantaged by the huge impact this proposal will have on Bayside.”
Good morning, I felt compelled to add my comment once I saw the photo on Page 3 of the Escape magazine dated 29th September 2019.
The photo depicts the ocean liner QE in Sydney harbour with the comments….. “ Standing on the deck with the Opera House on one side and the bridge on the other, is unforgettable”.
I totally agree as would many others who have had the opportunity to either cruise in or out of Sydney harbour. What a magnificent sight it is as arguable the greatest harbour in the world.
Yet we find our governments not understanding this as they are about to sign off if they have not already down so, on building another cruise line terminal in Port Botany of all places.
Who in their right mind would book a cruise to or from Sydney which would depart or terminate from Port Botany as apposed to Sydney harbour…this is the key to the discussion, no one wants to cruise into a harbour and their first impression of Sydney to be a container yard, photographing cranes, forklifts and containers to send back to loved ones or Facebook, and to then have to bus into Circular Quay some 23 kilometres away, in traffic, are we serious?
As an avid cruiser and one who has sailed into many a beautiful harbour around the world, and into Sydney at least 3 times, I certainly would not be booking cruises in or out of Sydney that depart from Port botany, and I have spoken to many others who feel exactly the same way.
One of he greatest highlights of a cruise to Sydney is entering the harbour, and making your way to the overseas terminal or under the bridge, you just have to get up early in the morning and watch the cruise ship enter and look at the decks and the cabins with their passengers all out on deck taking photos and admiring the entry, and to take that away from the cruise is a disaster for the cruise industry waiting to happen.
The peak cruising season is from late September to late April, surely a plan could be worked out to share Garden Island during this period and secure the area for probably half the cost of building a new terminal.
The opposition to a cruise terminal in Botany Bay is NOT just about traffic congestion. There are serious concerns about the negative environmental impact a cruise ship terminal would have on the marine ecosystem. Have the geniuses who are researching this proposal considered the force of the ocean itself? For example- bomboras, waves, and the strong southerly busters at different times of the year? It is irresponsible to consider this as a site. Wollongong and Newcastle would love to host a terminal and their sites are much more suitable.
The Australian Navy should move from Garden Island in Sydney Harbour to Jervis Bay where a new large dry dock and all the other facilities necessary to service and repair the largest and small Australian and our Allies’ ships such as Aircraft Carriers, Corvettes and Submarines, including also modern accommodation and associated facilities for the ship’s crews while the ships are there.
Then Garden Island should be converted to Sydney’s second International Passenger Cruise Ships Terminal located close to the centre of the city. Furthermore it should be long enough to accommodate two large Cruise Ships. Also it should be architecturally designed and built with spectacular features to compliment the iconic “Sails” Roof of the Sydney Opera House close by so that it too is almost a unique building which soon becomes regarded as such virtually world wide, thereby also adding to the appeal of Sydney as a destination or Port of call for Cruise Ships.
I live in Melbourne and have done most of the cruises out of Melb. as it is so convenient but I must say the dock is a sad place to board a ship, though I must say many other terminals around the world are in industrial locations.
It would not take a genious to figure out that it would be much more practical to move the navy out of Garden Island into Botany Bay, and build a modern cruise terminal in it’s place. So practical and so close to the city.
This is all to do with money, Botany Bay is closer to the city than Newcastle, therefore, transfers to Sydney from Newcastle would cost much more than transfers within the Sydney city area.What an awful outlook would it be to arrive in Botany Bay near the container terminal than it would be to arrive in Garden Island. Interesting or are our governing bodies blind..or don’t care???
Port Botany. What a joke – overseas visitors want to see SYDNEY as the point of arrival/departure, not some industrial backwater they’ve never heard of.
I agree with Jan Pearson – get rid of the Navy and utilise the Garden Island precinct. It just makes more sense. Too many people with private agendas in this.
Wake up Sydney, don’t become a Newcastle (where a privelidged few hold the balance of power, stopping any sensible development)
Put the Navy in Port Botany and allow the cruise industry to promote our beautiful city, just as the world wants.
No one wants to go to Port Botany to board a cruise ship!
Put the Navy there and free up Garden Island for a cruise terminal. We don’t need the Navy clogging up Sydney Harbour as it makes the Harbour a target for attack.
It’s about time the present federal government is ask about garden island to be the sensible plase for the third cruise terminal. Eastern end perhaps, look at the portable jetty created in Norway,it’s not that difficult, stop putting excuses in front of everything,just get on with it,now.
I am from Queensland and have done enough cruising and in turn ,talked to mostly people from overseas and when it comes to Sydney, all of them would only sail to Sydney if the cruise finished or docked for the day,in Sydney harbour, the heads, the opera house, the bridge and surround beauty,is what they all wanted to see.we are so slow in this country to solve problems the correct way. Sydney harbour is a big place. Botney bay is full of problems from start to finish.
Hi I am disappointed with all the talk about the problems Sydney is having with cruise terminals. both the terminals in Melbourne and Adelaide are grossly insignificant and the only terminal in the east that comes partly close to suitable is White hills at least they have car parking available next to the terminal.
Cruise line xo s should at least consider having a close look at Fremantle cruise terminal. I t is better equipped to cope with the largest ships there has not been one ship that could not easily get into this harbor and turn around. The terminal has just been refitted to cope with 3000+ passengers and it can cope with organized tours. Wake up people and bring your ships here we can cope. I have cruised on many of your ships with more than 40 cruises completed that shows I’m not talking through my hat. All of Asia is within reach of Fremantle including ports in India ,Japan , China ,South Korea and Taiwan. come on people give us a go
Newcastle is wanting one and was promised that is would be build. The STATE GOVERNMRNT HAS RENEGED ON THE OVERSEAS CRUISE TERMINAL IN NEWCASTLE
The state member for Newcastle has asked why hasn’t is started and asked for an extra 4million dollars. They withdraw the 12.7 million to build which is to low to Newcastle a turnaround port. Bad move for the state government and Newcastle.
Hi I was on this ship from Shanghai to Brisbane..must say the staff went out there way ..as I was by my self ..thank you ..
We were just in Alaska on a cruise and in the tiny port of Ketchikan there were 5 cruise ships docked and room for 2 more to tender into the harbour Sydney cruise situation is a joke ,
I am still not sure why with the amount of people that come from the far south coast and Illawarra region to go on cruises that the use of Port Kembla is not more serious…