- Sydney is still hunting for more port space to accommodate the burgeon cruise industry.
- But Wollongong is now running a campaign to persuade the government to make the city’s third terminal at Port Kembla.
- Wollongong’s Mayor has penned a plea claiming Southampton and Rome as cities with similar long-distance port solutions.
The Mayor of Wollongong has stepped up pressure on the State Government to nominate Port Kembla as Sydney’s third port facility to solve the pressure from the burgeoning cruise industry for a second big ship wharf.
Just this week, Princess had two ships in port and Diamond Princess was forced to anchor at Athol Bay – meaning passengers and their luggage had to be ferried to the Overseas Passenger Terminal.
The NSW government announced yet another search for Sydney’s third cruise terminal last year in a bid to arrest the slide in cruise capacity that will hit the harbour – and Australia – next year.
The Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay, nestled amongst Sydney’s prime real estate, is undeniably picturesque. It allows cruise passengers to sit on the back desk of their chosen ship and see the bridge to the left, and the Sydney Opera House to the right.

But the terminal, built in the seventies, only has room for one large ship at a time when big ship operators need more space and more inventory.
The industry has also been hit by high port charges and the low Australian dollar, a reason why lines are moving ships from Australia to the Caribbean, where cruising is cheap and Americans are creating a boom in demand.
In a letter to a local paper, Mayor Tania Brown said; ” We’re keen to share Wollongong with the world, and that’s why Council is advocating for the NSW Government to choose our city for a new cruise terminal.
“As well as benefitting local businesses by significantly enhancing our visitor economy, there are three overwhelming reasons for this – location, infrastructure and the ‘Wollongong’ experience.
“Wollongong is relatively close to both Sydney airports offering easy fly-in access for the 80 per cent of passengers who currently travel by air to join cruises. We’re in good company with both London’s port of Southampton and Rome’s port of Civitavecchia examples of other international cruise terminals located at least one hour’s drive from their capital city.
“Port Kembla itself is a deep-water port. It’s relatively easy to navigate, well protected and has land that can accommodate a terminal and the additional support services required. Importantly, it’s also in an industrial area so there is minimal residential impact.
“There is also demonstrated community support for the cruise industry. Between 2016 and 2019, Wollongong hosted seven cruise ship Day Visits. The warm welcome from locals saw Wollongong dubbed ‘The Friendly Port’ in post-visit survey results, and Royal Caribbean International’s Vice President and Managing Director Gavin Smith is also on the record saying he would “move the Royal Caribbean fleet there tomorrow” if Port Kembla was a cruise port.
The cruise industry presents a fantastic opportunity to increase tourism and bring significant benefits to the region’s economy through jobs, services and accommodation opportunities.
For me, it’s a no brainer – this is a win for the city, for community and for visitors and I will do my all to advocate to industry and to the NSW Government that they chose Port Kembla as the location for NSW’s latest cruise terminal.”
The group currently searching for new port facilities in Sydney has yet to report.
Wollngong itself should be the new cruise port but with a lot of work to be done , The breakwaters need to be changed the far one needs to be redesigned the little lighthouse to be moved closer and in the harbour itself be made into a marina , Cruise Ships could come and go from Wollongong people from south could join the ship there people North join the ship in Sydney and if timed right there could be Two Departures fom circular Quay a Day . It is only a thought and this could expanded or Shorten as the saying goes if you build it they will come. Just look at EDEN !