SUPERYACHTS Timely look at strategy

THE State Government is developing Queensland’s first superyacht strategy in more than three years, in time for an inevitable spending surge around next year’s Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

Treasurer Curtis Pitt said the scheme would articulate the industry’s potential growth and identify where infrastructure needed improvement.

“The industry is already being inundated with berthing inquiries ahead of the Commonwealth Games and with New Zealand winning the America’s Cup, and we already know there aren’t enough facilities in Queensland to accommodate forecasted demand,” Mr Pitt said.

Mr Pitt slammed the Federal Government for stunting a potential goldmine for Queensland and the country at large through its prohibitive GST charges on foreignowned superyachts running charters in Australian waters.

“Frankly I’ve been left dumbfounded by the Federal Government’s obstinate refusal to remove the simple and obvious barriers to unlocking this lucrative industry’s potential in Australia, so Queensland will again go it alone in leading the way,” Mr Pitt said.

Carter Marine director Carrie Carter said the Cairns Marlin Marina was full and almost entirely booked out for the next two months.

Her pick of the current fleet moored in Cairns in terms of luxury, was Fidelis, a “beautiful” three-masted, foreign-owned sailing yacht 56m in length.

“We’ve also got a couple of 40-45m ones and others at 30m,” Ms Carter said.

The Far North is no stranger to superyachts, or even megayachts as it may be.

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen brought his 126m vessel Octopus, worth $250 million, to the city in both 2014 and 2015.

It was the biggest yacht ever berthed in Cairns, coming close to surpassing the marina’s 140m limit.

“The next hurdle is the charter legislation,” Ms Carter said.

“I know the Premier was on board with us when we met with her a couple of weeks ago.

“I’m hoping they are able to push that from the Queensland side through to the Federal Government.”