Waterfront to get into the spirit
THE RELOCATION OF THE SPIRIT OF TASMANIA TO CORIO QUAY WILL BOOST TOURISM AND INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
GEELONG’S waterfront will form the gateway to hundreds of thousands of new visitors when the Spirit of Tasmania relocates its Victorian base to Corio Quay in 2022.
In early 2020, Spirit of Tasmania announced that it would be moving its Victorian port operations from Station Pier, Port Melbourne, to Corio Quay, north of Geelong.
The relocation, expected in spring 2022, will provide an improved experience for the 450,000 passengers who travel annually and support the long-term operations of the popular service.
“We are incredibly excited to be welcoming Spirit of Tasmania to Corio Quay in 2022 supporting tourism and economic growth opportunities for Geelong and Victoria,” GeelongPort chief executive officer Brett Winter says.
The move is expected to open up trade and investment opportunities in the tourism, hospitality, agribusiness, manufacturing and logistics industries, increasing employment opportunities during the construction phase by 50-75 full-time equivalent jobs and bringing ongoing jobs to the local area once operational.
It will also provide a significant boost to the economy, increasing tourism expenditure by $57.3m in Geelong and by $174.1m in Victoria by 2029-30.
As Victoria’s second largest port and logistics gateway for regional Victoria, the location of GeelongPort makes it of high strategic and economic significance for the state through its important logistical and trading functions.
It is located within easy access to the Princes Freeway, North Shore and North Geelong railway stations, 15 minutes from Avalon Airport and is a gateway to iconic tourism destinations such as the Great Ocean Rd and Bellarine Peninsula.
GeelongPort is investing $135m to create a purpose-built 12ha passenger and freight terminal precinct at Corio Quay South, launching in 2022. It will include:
A STATE-of-the-art passenger terminal building with comfortable and accessible passenger lounge areas, featuring an arrivals hall, a children’s play area, a cafe, office facility areas and crew accommodation facilities.
SPACE for seamless and efficient boarding and security processes for passengers.
PASSENGER vehicle marshalling area for up to 600 passenger vehicles.
TRUCK parking bays for 150 trucks and a 24/7 secure freight yard that can house 60 trucks.