Jervis Bay cruise ships: New documents claim damaging cost on region

Local businesses benefiting from the pristine waters of Jervis Bay would be impacted by a proposed cruise ship route in the area, a government report warns, as plans for the venture continue.

New documents obtained by independent Shoalhaven MLC Justin Field have shed light on concerns within the NSW State Government that proposed cruise ship routes in Jervis Bay would harm sensitive ecosystems and impede local business.

The documents, which were obtained under NSW freedom of information rules, detail the response by Transport for NSW to the NSW Department of Primary Industries’ draft plan for marine management on the south coast.

Feedback on the plan, signed April 2021, warned that operation of cruise ships out of the popular marine park would impede access to water resources and potentially harm local business, including oyster farmers and adventure sport operators.

“Many social and economic values rely on boating and other infrastructure to access the marine estate,” the report states.

“Particularly significant impacts on the oyster aquacultures industry and seafood consumers (are forecast), with a potential loss of trust in seafood impacting the aquaculture, commercial fishing, seafood and tourism industries, and consumptive enjoyment.

“Aboriginal cultural impacts to cultural practise, food – particularly oysters and pipis – and totemic species (are also likely).”

The report warns a lack of access to infrastructure resulting from cruise ship activities may impact water-based tourism, including recreational fishing, commercial fishing, charter boats, cruises, scuba diving, snorkelling, adventure sports, and whale and dolphin watching.

For the Jervis Bay Marine Park to be suitable for cruise ship operation, dredging operations would have to be undertaken, the report warns.

The documents outline opposition to these operations by Transport for NSW, who argue that cruise ship anchorages should only be in places where dredging is not required given potential environmental impact.

“Marine parks are no place for the cruise industry,” Shoalhaven MLC Justin Field said.

“Any dredging needed to accommodate cruise ships is liable to affect local patterns of wave refraction and in turn have a range of secondary environmental impacts on shorelines, seagrasses and shallow habitats well beyond the dredged area,” the report states.

“Much of (Jervis Bay’s) deeper sea floor supports a complex habitat based on oyster reef, deep water algae and sponge gardens – and cruise ship anchoring would likely harm these habitats.”

Transport for NSW rejected the proposal in the draft plan leaked late last year that they would be the lead agency on the project.

Mr Field, who is a resident of the Shoalhaven area, said the documents raised further questions about who within the NSW Coalition Government was pushing for the “cruise ship industry’s agenda”.

“If Transport for NSW didn’t want anything to do with it and warned of environmental damage to the Jervis Bay Marine Park, why has Fisheries agreed to take the lead in investigating the opportunity for cruise ships in the Bay?,” Mr Field said.

“These documents show cruise ships in Jervis Bay are entirely inconsistent with the values of the marine park and would cause environmental damage to the sensitive marine environment and have an impact on other users like tourism and aquaculture.

“I stand with the community who want all reference to cruise ships in Jervis Bay removed entirely from the Network Management Plan.

“Marine parks are no place for the cruise industry.”

The Jervis Bay Community Cruise Ship Coalition has been vocal in its opposition to the plan, with member Penny Davidson warning of the impact cruise ships would have on an already thriving tourism industry owing to the areas beaches and marine life.

“Jervis Bay not only has a nearly pristine aquatic environment but also a thriving tourism industry that depends on that protection,” she said.

“We’re incredibly concerned because neither the government departments nor the Port Authority have released studies showing how cruise ships can be brought into Jervis Bay without harming the marine environment and this new information suggests that will be difficult to do.

Dredging needed to accommodate cruise ships in the Jervis Bay Marine Park is liable to a have a range of secondary environmental impacts on shorelines, seagrasses and shallow habitats well beyond the dredged area. Picture: Nathan Schmidt

“We’ve lost trust in the government as the cruise industry are still selling tickets for cruises that will use Jervis Bay as a port while the Government is sitting on information that suggests there are real environmental risks from allowing that to happen.”

In a statement by Mr Field on Wednesday, the Shoalhaven MLC said the heavily redacted documents obtained under the FOI request were marked as “Official, sensitive” and provided new insight into behind the scenes, intra-governmental discussions about the proposed network plan.

The documents reveal suggestions by Transport for NSW that the Royal Australian Navy be consulted, and could possibly inform options for anchorage given their use of large ships in the area for decades.

The report also states the possible inclusion of Batemans Bay in the new network.

In an email addressed to Transport for NSW policy manager of freight policy and regulatory reform Marie Lodge from senior policy officer for the Centre for Maritime Safety, Anna Attard, five mainland marine parks in NSW are highlighted for potential development, pursuant to the Marine Estate Management Act 2014.

The parks include Cape Byron, Solitary Island, Port Stephens-Great Lakes, Jervis Bay and Batemans marine parks.

The report later states that: “The cruise ship industry has identified opportunities to expand in Jervis Bay and cruise ships occasionally visit the waters of Batemans Bay.

“The cruise ship industry can make a valued contribution to regional economies, but it is important that activities do not have a negative impact on other marine park values.”

Discussion regarding access to anchoring permits in marine parks by superyachts and commercial vessels would require further discussion, according to the documents.

The draft plan concluded its public consultation on January 31.

The NSW Department of Primary Industry was contacted for comment, but did not reply in time for this article.

In a response from Port Authority of NSW, CEO Philip Holliday stated that there are no current plans, proposals or strategies to expand regional cruises in Jervis Bay.

Mr Holliday said the reason no studies had been released showing how larger cruise ships can be brought into Jervis Bay without harming the marine environment was because there are no plans to expand cruising in Jervis Bay.

“Port Authority has worked with local communities and industry on how best to manage the ships that, with the permission of the Marine Park Authority, do already stop-over in Jervis Bay and to gauge their support for cruising in the area,” Mr Holliday said.

“The local community made it clear they do not want increased cruise activity at Jervis Bay and we acknowledge and accept this.

“While past documents may exist which canvass the idea, that idea has not been progressed and is effectively scrapped.

“We have zero intention of driving any expansion of cruise ship visitation to Jervis Bay.

“Port Authority supports the Department of Primary Industry leading a thorough risk assessment process to inform policy decisions on the management of all marine parks.”