Aussie Ports Upgrade

The recent announcement that the NSW Government has committed $12.7 million to a permanent multi-purpose cruise terminal in Newcastle is welcome news as we approach the start of cruise season. The new facility, to be completed in 2018, is located close to the city centre and will enable the Port to attract more cruise ships to the region including some of the larger vessels. Geoff Crowe, Port of Newcastle ceo, noted the “purpose-built facilities will provide a professional welcome to passengers and operational efficiency for our cruise customers.” This newbuild will be in addition to the upgrading of the current mooring bollards, to be completed in mid-2017, enabling the Port to also host larger ships carrying up to 3,500 passengers. Newcastle is one of several ports gearing up for the future of the growing cruise industry. A $100m “mega ship” facility is in the planning stages by the Port of Brisbane to meet the worldwide trend to “superliners”. In Tasmania, significant upgrades have been made to improve the capacity of the ports in Hobart and Burnie. Darwin has also recently completed a $1.2 million shaded walkway from the Terminal to the Darwin Waterfront Precinct. These infrastructure upgrades are critical to both the operational and passenger experience in advance of our welcoming eight new ships this cruise season including Norwegian Star, Maasdam, Emerald Princess, Seabourn Encore, Azamara Journey, Magellan, Sirena and RCI’s Ovation of the Seas – the largest ship to ever cruise Australian waters.