Australia Steps Closer to Mega Cruise Ship Terminal
Image Courtesy: Port of BrisbaneAustralia has taken another step toward its new mega-cruise ship terminal near the mouth of the Brisbane River as the stakeholders reached in-principle agreement with the Port of Brisbane on commercial and technical issues.
“Agreement on terms between the Port of Brisbane and key stakeholders has opened the way for the progression of the detailed business case,” Curtis Pitt, Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment, said.
“Good progress has been made with these stakeholders to overcome hurdles and develop a facility that will bring a welcome economic boost and new jobs to our state,” Pitt added.
The deal with the State Government, Brisbane City Council and Queensland Urban Utilities meant the AUD 100 million project had taken a significant step forward in the government’s Market-Led Proposal assessment process. Realistic solutions have been developed and the way is now clear to undertake the detailed business case to finalise the port’s proposal for the facility, according to Pitt.
“While this does not mean a Final Investment Decision has been made, reaching these in-principle agreements was a key requirement of our PBPL Board to demonstrate the project’s viability,” Roy Cummins, Port of Brisbane CEO, said.
“As a result, this now means we can progress engineering and design works. This work will inform the final business case that will be presented to Government for its consideration,” Cummins added.
The proposed terminal, scheduled to be completed during the 2019-20 cruise season, will be able to accommodate the mega-ships now becoming widespread in the cruise industry. It is estimated that over 60% of cruise ships in Australia will be longer than 270 metres by 2020.
