Gunner Government shifts blame on costly Darwin superyacht industry debacle

INFRASTRUCTURE Minister Eva Lawler has shifted the blame for a colossal stuff-up which has seen Darwin lose its status as a first point of call for international yachties onto Canberra

Darwin’s multimillion-dollar superyacht industry is at serious risk after the city lost first point of entry status for international yachts coming to Australia. Picture: Supplied

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INFRASTRUCTURE Minister Eva Lawler has shifted the blame for a colossal stuff-up which has seen Darwin lose its status as a first point of call for international yachties on to the Commonwealth.

Darwin’s multimillion-dollar superyacht industry is at serious risk after the city lost first point of entry status for international yachts coming to Australia – a decision the federal department said was made because the Darwin facilities weren’t compliant with Australian biosecurity standards brought in three years ago.

Ms Lawler said the NT Government had been told no decision would be made until April, when works to make the Cullen Bay ferry pontoon a suitable first point of entry would be complete.

She said that assurance had been given because, without those works, the blanket new biosecurity standards would have left the region without any compliant ports.

Her office is now calling on David Littleproud – the federal Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources – to intervene.

“We know superyachts are important to local businesses in the region, that’s why the decision by the Federal Government is extremely disappointing,” Ms Lawler said.

“We have a facility that can service the needs of visiting superyachts and other vessels and that makes Darwin a more attractive destination for visitors.

“I have reached out to Minister Littleproud to discuss this issue in further detail so that we can work together to ensure that the Cullen Bay Ferry Pontoon is the first point of entry in Darwin for non-commercial vessels.”

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A Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment spokesman said an “ongoing determination” had been made for the Port of Darwin after its extension expired in December 2019, but “because no operators within the Port of Darwin have demonstrated compliance with the standard for non-commercial vessels, the current determination does not include an entry point for this class of vessel”.