| Sydney Ports expansion

SYDNEY Ports has confirmed a $5 million
investment in new mooring facilities at the
Circular Quay Overseas Passenger Terminal,
which will make it a “regular berthing point for
significantly larger cruise ships”.
Sydney Ports executive General Manager,
Industry Relations and Logistics, Lachlan
Benson, said the new facility would be used for
the first time next week by Queen Mary 2 (see
p2) which will be the biggest ship ever to tie
up at the terminal.
The expanded terminal will also allow Royal
Caribbean’s 310-metre long Voyager of the
Seas as well as Celebrity Cruises’ 315-metre
Celebrity Solstice to operate from there when
they debut in Australia in 2012/13.
“A longer-term solution for the berthing of
large ships at the Overseas Passenger Terminal
may involve the installation of two fixed
mooring points or ‘dolphins’ – one at the site of
the new anchor and another on shore,”
according to Benson.
He said that the improvements were part of
an $87 million infrastructure program to
support the cruise industry.
This also includes the new $57m White Bay
terminal as well as a new master plan for the
Overseas Passenger Terminal, with a $25
million redevelopment budget.