Randwick Council hopes Captain Cook will stop cruise ships

Randwick Council is hoping historical heavyweights Captain James Cook and Governor Arthur Phillip will help them fend off cruise liners. The council has been accused of abusing the heritage system to sink economic development.

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A Sydney council is hoping historical heavyweights Captain James Cook and Governor Arthur Phillip will help them fend off cruise liners.

But Randwick Council has been accused by the Sydney Business Chamber of abusing the heritage system to sink economic development.

In the latest attempt to prevent a cruise ship terminal being built in Botany Bay, Randwick Council will apply to have the proposed site at Yarra Bay Reserve put on the National Heritage List.

Randwick Council is hoping Captain James Cook can stop cruise liners from coming in.

Council documents say Yarra Bay and Frenchmans Beach are of state and national significance “as the first point of contact between Aboriginal people and European settlers in Australia”.

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There are references that Captain Cook “made excursions inland from possibly Yarra Bay and/or Frenchmans Bay” in 1770 in search of fresh water. He first landed at Kurnell, on the other side of the bay.

Yarra Bay is part of Botany Bay.

In 1788, Commodore Arthur Philip is also believed to have sent crews to search for the same water source, only to move onto Port Jackson and set up the colony near what is now the Sydney Opera House.

“There is an unexplained and unsung part of history that happened there and we want to bring that to the fore,” Randwick deputy mayor Danny Said told The Sunday Telegraph.

“We would like to put a cultural centre there and improve the green space.

“And if that is also a way to stop a cruise ship terminal that does not suit the area, then fantastic.”

Randwick deputy mayor and Labor Party member Danny Said is opposed to the cruise ship terminal at Yarra Bay.

Last year, the state government proposed Yarra Bay and nearby Molineaux Point as a third cruise ship terminal, in addition to the Overseas Passenger Terminal and White Bay in Sydney Harbour.

In 2017, Sydney Harbour hosted 367 ship visit days by 50 different ships. By 2040 the number of passengers cruising through Sydney is expected to double.

The Navy and then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull have said the Australian Defence Force base at Garden Island is not an option because of expanding Navy operations.

This is despite the Royal Australian Air Force sharing airports with civilians at Townsville, Newcastle and Darwin.

NSW Business Chamber director of policy Chris Lamont said Sydney is near capacity for large and mega cruise ships.

“It would be disappointing if the heritage listing process was being abused to exclude necessary and important considerations around a new cruise ship terminal,” he said.

Margy Osmond, CEO of industry body the Tourism and Transport Forum Australia, said: “We think a business case on the whole Botany option is important and needs to be done, but we still believe Garden Island is the best solution.”

Norwegian Cruise Line ship, Norwegian Jewel sailing in to Sydney Harbour. Picture: Mark Merton.

The Port Authority of NSW is yet to release their business case for the terminal.

Industry figures believe the case will not be released until after the Federal Election.

“The Detailed Business Case will need to consider a number of key areas including consultation with the community, the environment, transport, financing, fishing, heritage, indigenous culture, noise, social impacts and traffic,” a Port Authority of NSW spokeswoman said.

Randwick Council will discuss the motion at the April 23 meeting. The National Heritage listing would be made via the Federal Department of Environment and Energy.

The council has already applied to the state government to have the area put on the state heritage register.

Originally published as Randwick Council hopes Captain Cook will stop cruise ships