Breakwater expansion and Outer Harbour Development to boost Townsville’s waterfront
Worth hundreds of millions, these two ambitious Townsville waterfront developments in the pipeline are set to transform the city. Find out what’s being planned.
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Future Townsville is a series launched by The Townsville Bulletin showcasing the economic, employment and innovation it brings to the state. The series, running over the next six days, is supported by S. Kidman, Bravus, Port of Townsville, Aurizon,Queensland Resources Council, Sun Metals, Ark Energy and Urbis.
Set to stand like sentinels on either side of Ross Creek’s mouth, two ambitious waterfront projects are poised to lift Townsville’s future fortunes to the next level.
On one side, the Morris Group’s Ville Resort-Casino and Ardo Hotel already dominate the breakwater peninsula, but those landmark buildings are only the tip of the iceberg for what is on the way.
While across Ross Creek, the Port of Townsville has plans in the works for a significant upgrade, ensuring it was well-placed to capture economic and employment opportunities for our fast-growing city over the coming decades.
Speaking exclusively to the Townsville Bulletin about their waterfront vision, The Ville chief executive Tim Richardson confirmed that they were in the latter stages of master planning for the proposed Breakwater expansion.
“Concepts include a blend of private residential apartments designed to maximise the vacant site’s stunning views of Magnetic Island, along with additional hotel rooms to diversify our portfolio and accommodate longer-stay visitors,” Mr Richardson said.
“The proposed expansion also features increased on-site parking, green spaces, and curated commercial opportunities that will enhance the precinct’s liveability and economic vitality.
“We are actively progressing through density and feasibility studies while carefully considering current industry pressures including challenges around labour availability, materials, and construction timelines, particularly as we lead into the upcoming Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.”
While it was too early to confirm specific infrastructure details, he said the initial scope of the Breakwater expansion outlines the potential for approximately 500 additional keys — including a mix of private residential apartments and hotel rooms delivered in stages across their existing land.
“The timeline is dependent on consultation and approvals with relevant stakeholders, and collective support from government and regulators that align with our existing operations on the Breakwater,” he said.
“Preliminary modelling suggests the Breakwater expansion could generate a gross realisation of $1 billion into the local economy over an eight to 10-year period.”
While they had previously announced plans to build a super yacht marina in front of the casino to attract high-flying patrons, Mr Richardson said their present focus was on the Breakwater expansion.
He threw his support behind the Townsville waterfront masterplan, saying the shared vision behind it gave Morris Group the confidence to invest for the long-term and reinforce our commitment to the region.
The Morris Group fully supports this transformative vision, which will breathe new life into an under-utilised part of the city, unlocking its potential as a vibrant hub for economic and community growth. It’s a clear signal that the city is ready to grow,” he said.
“The Morris Group has made significant investments in key tourism assets across North Queensland, with Townsville at the centre because we strongly believe in the city’s growth.
“The potential development of the Breakwater presents an exciting opportunity to revitalise the precinct and CBD.”
Future beckons for Port of Townsville’s Outer Harbour Development
The Port of Townsville recently completed stage one of the Port Expansion Project, the $251 million channel widening to allow larger vessels up to 300m in length to safely access our Port, instead of bypassing Townsville.
The city was already reaping the benefits of this, thanks to larger cruise ships docking.
During the recent State and Federal elections, Townsville Enterprise called for a $450 million investment to deliver the Outer Harbour development – a critical phase of the Port Expansion.
Port of Townsville CEO Ranee Crosby said the $690 million Outer Harbour Development was the next stage of expansion, involving creation of two common-user berths.
“The Outer Harbour Development is the key that unlocks the North’s full economic potential. It’s where everything converges — critical minerals, renewables, agriculture, containerised freight, cruise, defence,” Ms Crosby said.
“Every major project in the region depends on the port to get equipment and products in and out. Without it, nothing moves.
“This is nation-building infrastructure that will help unlock $740 billion in critical minerals, enable over 25GW of renewable energy, and strengthen defence and supply chain capability across Northern and North West Queensland.”
She said what sets this project apart was the fact that they were “ready to go”.
“We’ve already secured the necessary Commonwealth and State EPBC approvals for the full 6-berth Port Expansion Project — a major hurdle that as we know can take up to a decade,” she said.
“That gives investors and customers confidence that port capacity can actually be delivered, removing risk and years of uncertainty.”
Noting that Townsville was already home to Northern Australia’s largest container and automotive port, and was the nation’s leading exporter of base minerals, sugar and fertiliser, Townsville Enterprise chief executive Claudia Brumme-Smith said its growth trajectory would see trade volumes triple to 30 million tonnes annually by 2050.
“This (expansion) project will provide essential common-user berths, associated land backing, and long-term certainty to proponents across North and Northwest Queensland,” she said.
“It is also strategically important to Townsville’s defence capabilities. The Port expansion will significantly boost our region’s import, export, and defence capacity, supporting not just local industry but our nation’s broader trade competitiveness.
“The larger, next-generation watercraft being acquired by Defence do need larger holding space at the Port of Townsville to keep that capability in Townsville. This is a critical piece of the puzzle for the deployment of forces out of Townsville and is essential to ensuring that this region remains resilient and ready.”
She said Townsville Enterprise remained committed to working closely with the Port of Townsville and all levels of Government to secure this investment and deliver one of Townsville’s most vital infrastructure projects.
Outer Harbour Development
• Construction of two common-user berths.
• Construction of seawalls to create a 90-hectare reclamation area to receive capital dredge material wharves and associated backing land.
• Dredging of berth pocks and approaches.
• Construction of trunk infrastructure, services and utilities.
• Can be delivered over a five-year period from 2025 to 2030.
Cruising into a record breaking season
Townsville is emerging as a must-cruise destination, with a record 26 ships set to visit our city in the 2025/2026 season.
More than 31,000 passengers and 14,000 crew will visit our city during the season, injecting more than $9.5 million into the local economy.
The season includes visits from 8 large class cruise ships over 238m in length which are able to access Townsville Port following completion of our $251 million Channel Upgrade project, which widened the shipping channel allowing ships up to 300m in length to access our Port for the first time.
Two vessels are scheduled for overnight stays, including ‘The World’ a luxury residential cruise ship making her maiden voyage to Townsville in December.
Port of Townsville CEO Ranee Crosby said improvements had been made to the Port’s dedicated cruise terminal, allowing passengers to have a seamless experience from ship to shore.
“Quayside Terminal has undergone a $5.9 million revamp to cater for the influx of guests from larger cruise ships which can carry up to 3000 passengers,” Ms Crosby said.
“This is triple the amount of guests we have previously welcomed from a single ship and brings economic benefits to the entire region.
“With its warm tropical spirit and genuine hospitality, Townsville already leaves a lasting impression on cruise passengers.
“By continuing to pursue its bold tourism vision, Townsville is setting the stage for more ships to arrive and more visitors to discover the unique magic that makes our city an unforgettable destination.”
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Originally published as Breakwater expansion and Outer Harbour Development to boost Townsville’s waterfront
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