LAST week, the Minister for Ports, Duncan Gay, welcomed what has been dubbed as “Sydney’s Super February” for cruising. Speaking with media outside Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal (OPT), Minister Gay said the 33 cruise vessels visiting Sydney Harbour this month represent the highest number of cruise ships ever to visit the city in a single month. “The NSW economy welcomes the contribution being made to this State’s economy by the cruise industry,” he said. “We welcome the thousands of cruise passengers who are this month experiencing the excitement of entering the world’s finest harbour,” he added. In terms of catering the growing demands on Sydney’s current cruise infrastructure, Minister Gay said that the NSW Government has committed $87 million to the cause, including 57m for the new White Bay passenger terminal, $25m set aside for improvements to the OPT and $5m for improvements to mooring facilities at the OPT to allow for berthing of larger ships. Minister Gay is pictured above (left) with the CEO of Sydney Ports, Grant Gilfillan.
