Garden Island to host cruise ships: PM

15 Jul 2012, 4:52 pm   -   Source: AAP
PM Julia Gillard has announced Sydney's Garden Island naval base will host visiting cruise ships. (AAP)

PM Julia Gillard has announced Sydney's Garden Island naval base will host visiting cruise ships. (AAP)

Sydney's Garden Island naval base will host cruise ships, Prime Minister Julia Gillard says, only months after a review criticised the idea.

The NSW government and cruise line operators finally got what they wanted with the announcement that Sydney's naval base will be shared with cruise ships.

But they've both indicated that this is just a start, and they're hoping for a more extensive and permanent proposal for what a tourism head described as a "fully fledged berthing facility".

Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced to delegates at the NSW Labor conference on Sunday that the federal government would guarantee three cruise ships a berth each at Garden Island over the next two cruise seasons.

Ships have previously berthed at the facility, but only on a limited and ad hoc basis.

Ms Gillard said the Queen Mary 2, which docked at Garden Island in March, brought 2,500 visitors to Sydney.

Expanded capacity could see a visit of that kind every month in summer, she said.

"That's why we're expanding the number of guaranteed berths for the biggest visiting cruise vessels, ensuring three visits this coming cruise season and another three the next."

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell said it was a sensible decision.

But he sided with the tourism and cruising industries in saying the current offer will have to be expanded in the future.

Mr O'Farrell said about 260 ships were expected to visit Sydney this financial year.

"The cruise ship industry is the strongest area of growth in tourism in NSW," he said.

"The way to meet the growing needs of the cruise ship industry is to share space at Garden Island.

"With the sort of growth we're seeing three won't be enough, but it's a good start."

Earlier, Tourism and Transport Forum chief executive officer John Lee also said three berths was a good start.

"But what we need is a permanent solution with customs and with a fully fledged professional berthing facility.

"Cruise ships are getting larger and taller and that means fewer of them, especially superliners ... are able to fit underneath the Harbour Bridge.

"Therefore we need more berthing capacity east of the bridge and, with the Overseas Passenger Terminal fully utilised in the peak season, we need other opportunities."

The announcement comes less than four months after a review by former defence department secretary Dr Allan Hawke found the Garden Island proposal was "essentially incompatible" with the future needs of the navy.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said while national security was important a continued naval presence at Garden Island could be balanced with access for tourists and residents.

"The news means more tourists providing a boost to our local economy," Ms Moore said in a statement, adding the cruise ship industry contributed about $3 billion to the Australian economy.

The only commercial berth now available for large liners east of the Harbour Bridge is at the Overseas Passenger Terminal.

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