Cairns targets mega ship cruising

The Cairns Shipping Development Project will now target mega cruise ships up to 300 metres in length, the Queensland, Australia state treasurer Curtis Pitt has said.

The decision is expected to help the Port of Cairns to take advantage of the strong growth forecasted for the market.

The Cairns Shipping Development Project seeks to widen the channel into the Port of Cairns through the removal of 4.4 million cubic metres of material to improve access for large cruise ships, enable growth for HMAS Cairns Navy base and improve port efficiencies.

“Based on the revised forecasts, the project will enable the Port of Cairns to dock around an extra 37 new mega cruise ships a year by 2026 with this increasing to 59 on the basis of a continuation of home-porting in Cairns and the establishment of the new Brisbane cruise liner terminal,” Pitt said.

“While there is still considerable work to be done in the EIS investigation, I’m advised that the total cost will be reduced to around AU$120 million (US$90 million).”