The Queensland Government has taken action on the improvements planned for FNQ cruise facilities and access to Trinity Inlet. THE State’s Coordinator-General has declared the proposed upgrade of the Port of Cairns a significant project. The proposal to improve shipping access to Trinity Inlet will now be subjected to a...
The Queensland Government
has taken action on the
improvements planned for FNQ
cruise facilities and access to
Trinity Inlet.
THE State’s Coordinator-General has declared
the proposed upgrade of the Port of Cairns a
significant project.
The proposal to improve shipping access to
Trinity Inlet will now be subjected to a rigorous
environmental assessment, with the public
invited to comment on the project’s draft
terms of reference.
Deputy Premier and Minister for State
Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jeff
Seeney yesterday said, if approved, the
upgrades would benefit the cruise industry as
well as the local economy.
“The Cairns Shipping Development Project
proposed by Ports North will widen and
deepen the existing shipping channels and
swing basins to accommodate mega class
cruise shipping vessels,” Seeney said.
“This would be a real boost for Cairns
tourism.”
The construction is expected to take one
year.
However, Seeney said the environmental
assessment and Commonwealth approvals
were a critical factor.
“The project involves dredging and spoil
disposal and therefore the co-operation and
timely responses from relevant
Commonwealth agencies will be very
important to complement our own
streamlined approval approaches,” he said.
Carnival Australia was first to welcome the
decision to move ahead with the process.
CEO Ann Sherry commented that it signified
the importance of addressing infrastructure
gaps, which posed the biggest risk to cruising’s
continued growth.
“The Government’s declaration puts Cairns
and the far north on track to achieve the
economic benefits of cruise ship visits to the
region and its many visitor attractions,” she
said.
