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Newcastle, Australia, to get Multi-User Cruise Terminal

Newcastle
Newcastle, Australia

Published Sep 28, 2016 11:18 PM by The Maritime Executive

Australia’s NSW Government as announced plans for a multi-user cruise terminal in Newcastle to support cruise tourism in the Hunter region.

The A$12.7 million multi-purpose terminal will be 3,000 square meters and similar in scale to Sydney's White Bay Terminal. It will replace a temporary marquee.

The terminal will be built at the Channel Berth within the Port's Carrington Precinct and will include berthing for vessels up to 320 meters (1,050 feet) in length. 

The Queen Elizabeth cruise ship had to rotate almost 360 degrees so it could reverse into a berth at the port earlier this year. “The new terminal will not only attract new cruise ships to the annual cruise season but could also be used as a home port for cruises, which means for the first time passengers could start and end their journeys in Newcastle,” said Planning Minister Rob Stokes.

Cruise shipping currently delivers around A$11 million ($8.5 million) per annum to the local economy, according to the Australian Cruise Association. The project is expected to generate a further $26.7 million ($20 million) locally.

Sture Myrmell, President of P&O Cruises, one of Carnival Australia's seven cruise brands, said the announcement was good news for the people of Newcastle.

“This local investment in port infrastructure acknowledges the Hunter region's attractiveness as a cruise destination, with its ease of access to the surrounding wine growing district and other quality attractions,” said Myrmell.

“It also acknowledges cruise tourism's local economic contribution as the industry continues to record double-digit growth in passenger numbers in Australia with domestic itineraries and short break cruises among the big growth areas in this market.”

Carnival Australia and its home brand line P&O Cruises has pioneered cruising to and from Newcastle. P&O Cruises also purchases large quantities of Hunter region wine for use on the line's five ship fleet with nearly 100,000 bottles served each year.

Ships from a number of Carnival Australia brands had visited Newcastle including the spectacular maiden visit earlier this year of Cunard Line's Queen Elizabeth.

"The new multiple-use cruise terminal will be an excellent local asset to support and encourage cruise ship calls to Newcastle," Myrmell said.