Could this NSW spot be the next big cruise port?

A new option for a commercial cruise line port could be Wollongong, according to a tourism leader in the destination.

Just last week, ex politician and Navy captain, Peter Collins, revealed a new committee has been formed to help drive a government solution to the NSW cruise infrastructure standstill, with Garden Island posited as the obvious option.

CLIA responded with full support of the new committee, saying it was integral to find a solution if the cruise industry was to grow.

And now, Destination Wollongong General Manager Mark Sleigh is putting his own city forward as a potential answer.

“The role that Wollongong potentially plays is that it’s sitting in the background,” he said, per Fairfax Regional.

Sleigh agreed Garden Island, Sydney’s naval base, was an “attractive option” given its location, but said it was not a viable option while in use by the Navy.

“It’s facilitating in the short term and then people kind of have a look at it medium to long-term and go … ‘maybe that’s a sensible solution’,” he added, per Fairfax.

“You’re dealing with large [cruise] companies … who have an attachment to Sydney Harbour, and that’s understandable.

“It’s working through the priorities of each of the cruise lines to come up with an end result that suits everyone’s goals.”

Per Fairfax, Sleigh described Port Kembla, which saw visits from four cruise ships last season and is prepping for a further three in 2017, as an “attractive alternative” to Sydney.

“We’re located only 90km from Sydney International Airport. We have the [physical and nautical] infrastructure that they can come and turn cruise ships around here tomorrow.”

Collins had told News Corp last week that by ramping up the shared use of Garden Island, it wouldn’t be in any way a move to kick out the Navy, which plays its own “pivotal” role in Sydney’s economy.

Collins said the most cost-effective answer will be negotiating a way to allow cruise ships greater access to Garden Island Defence base, although didn’t rule out building a major new cruise terminal east of the harbour bridge, despite the obvious lack of space.

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