The first round of community consultation sessions has begun in Sydney to gauge stakeholders’ opinion of Sydney’s cruise capacity and the potential for a new cruise terminal.
The Detailed Business Case currently being progressed was developed by the Port Authority of NSW in consultation with the NSW Treasury.
The project aims to investigate cruise capacity, industry demand and assess two potential cruise terminal sites at Yarra Bay and Molineux Point near Port Botany in Sydney.
The number of cruise ships berthing in Sydney Harbour has increased in recent years, as has the trend toward larger ship sizes. The NSW Government has worked to accommodate this demand by using existing infrastructure over recent years.
Without investment in additional infrastructure, Sydney will not be able to service this demand and address capacity constraints. The Detailed Business Case is the next step in helping to ensure Sydney can respond to growing demand for cruising.
Addressing cruise capacity was also recognised as a priority initiative on Infrastructure Australia’s 2019 Infrastructure Priority List, and cruise capacity constraints and flow-on impacts on domestic tourism were listed as key challenges in Infrastructure Australia’s recently released 2019 Australian Infrastructure Audit.
Consultation both in person and online
To help inform the development of the Detailed Business Case, the Port Authority of NSW has sought feedback from stakeholders and the community following the release of the first project update and the launch of an interactive engagement website.
The website features project information, frequently asked questions and allows community members to inform the project by placing a pin on a map of the project area and commenting on how they use it.
The Port Authority of NSW wants to know:
- If it has captured stakeholders’ concerns and questions accurately
- If stakeholders have further questions
- If stakeholders have other suggestions about how it can use the information collected through community consultation to inform the Detailed Business Case for a terminal within the study area
Feedback closes 31 January 2020.
The information gathered will be used to help assess the options and to inform future planning.
The feedback was shared at three information sessions held in November 2019, which gave the community the opportunity to meet the project team, learn about the information gathered during this first phase of consultation and how the Port Authority is responding.
An industry engagement process is also currently underway to test feasibility and market appetite for delivering new cruise infrastructure.
Further information sessions will be held by mid-2020.
The Detailed Business Case will be presented to the NSW Government in 2020. At the time of the second round of community information sessions, the Port Authority NSW is committed to providing an Early Consultation Outcomes Report that explains how community feedback has been used to inform the project.
The Port Authority will also outline the project, including refined site options within the study area and early design concepts.
For more information, and to contribute your thoughts to the Port Authority of NSW, visit yoursaycruisecapacity.com.au.
