Project Sydney: Cruise ships ahoy for Garden Island for plan calls for Navy to share space with cruise operators
CRUISE ship operators would share Garden Island with the Navy in a bold move before the Berejiklian government that would free up harbour space and unlock billions of tourism dollars.
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CRUISE ships would share Garden Island with the Navy in an ambitious move being considered by the state government that would unlock billions in tourist dollars.
The Daily Telegraph can exclusively reveal this is one of the key recommendations in a report by former Liberal leader and Navy Reserve captain Peter Collins, handed to the Berejiklian government last Friday.
It proposes the lucrative cruise ship industry be allowed to permanently share Garden Island to allow more ships into Sydney Harbour and address a chronic shortage of space.
“We’ve got solutions to enhance capacity of the Navy and accommodate the cruise industry at Garden Island,” NSW Roads, Maritime and Freight Minister Melinda Pavey said.
“We can help them build more infrastructure at Garden Island which is a win-win for both parties. But we have to have good conversations with the Navy and continue our consultations with them.”
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The Collins report, which is due to go before cabinet, found improved infrastructure on Garden Island for international cruise liners is the preferred option rather than starting from scratch with a new passenger port at Botany Bay. It is understood to have recommended Garden Island as the preferred option because it delivers tourists the experience of Sydney Harbour they are seeking.
It is also more cost-effective to build on the existing infrastructure at Garden Island.
Ms Pavey said a new collaborative approach to solving Sydney’s cruise ship crisis could lead to Garden Island being unlocked on a permanent basis for the first time.
However, Ms Pavey made clear the NSW government had not ruled out a port facility at Botany Bay and was still consulting with the tourism industry and the Navy.
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“It’s clear from the (Collins) report, that government is yet to consider that access to Garden Island is the preferred option, but we will also be looking and investigating all options at Port Botany simultaneously,” she said.
The Navy has strong objections to sharing Garden Island, arguing it needs sole access for national security reasons. The naval base houses the only large dry-dock facility in the southern hemisphere. Garden Island has been made available to a maximum of three cruise ships during peak season, subject to formal requests.
Some of Australia’s biggest cruise companies have started pulling some of their biggest ships out of Sydney because the International Passenger Terminal is at capacity. A further issue is that mega-cruise liners cannot fit under the Harbour Bridge to reach the White Bay terminal. The cruise industry is Australia’s fastest-growing tourism sector, contributing $3 billion annually to the NSW economy.