| ACA Update 24 May 18: Port upgrades support cruise boom

WITH Jill Abel, CEO, Australian Cruise Association – With the cruise industry growing rapidly, our ports are always looking at how they might manage this increase as well as the different types of vessel we are now seeing.
The much-awaited $158m mega ship facility in Brisbane has received the final approval helping them meet the worldwide trend toward superliners – by 2020, 62% of cruise vessels in the Australian market and will be over 270m long.
In an Australian first, Carnival will pay a fixed annual amount to the Port for 15 years in return for preferential berthing (with ACCC conditions attached).
We will watch with interest to see if this becomes more standard.
Complementing that development, a $120m upgrade is on the horizon for Cairns which will undoubtedly help with itinerary building in Qld.
The environmental approval was given in late Feb bringing the project one step closer to fruition.
The planned deepening and widening of the navigation channel will allow a substantial increase in the size and number of cruise ships which can visit the Port.
Port Melbourne’s Station Pier will receive $5.8m to undertake planning works to grow cruise ship operations in Victoria.
Significant port upgrades have also been made to Burnie to cater for increased arrivals.
Regional ports such as Newcastle are also growing with an $800k commitment to upgrade the mooring bollards increasing their capacity to receive larger ships.
ACA is excited to see this level of infrastructure development support further growth of the cruise sector.