Radiance of the Seas docked at Port Kembla during a visit in 2016. Photo: Wollongong City Council.
Wollongong is a place we all love to live, play and work and, as locals, we know how much it has to offer.
We’re keen to share Wollongong with the world, and that’s why council is advocating for the NSW Government to choose our city for a new cruise terminal.
As well as benefitting local businesses by significantly enhancing our visitor economy, there are three overwhelming reasons for this – location, infrastructure and the Wollongong experience.
Wollongong is relatively close to both Sydney airports, offering easy fly-in access for the 80 per cent of passengers who currently travel by air to join cruises.
We’re in good company, with both London’s port of Southampton and Rome’s port of Civitavecchia examples of other international cruise terminals located at least one hour’s drive from their capital city.
Port Kembla itself is a deepwater port. It’s relatively easy to navigate, well protected and has land that can accommodate a terminal and the additional support services required.
Importantly, it’s also in an industrial area, so there is minimal residential impact.
There is also demonstrated community support for the cruise industry.
Between 2016 and 2019, Wollongong hosted seven cruise ship day visits.
The warm welcome from locals saw Wollongong dubbed “The Friendly Port” in post-visit survey results.
Royal Caribbean International’s vice-president and managing director Gavin Smith is also on the record saying he would “move the Royal Caribbean fleet there tomorrow” if Port Kembla was a cruise port.
The cruise industry presents a fantastic opportunity to increase tourism and bring significant benefits to the region’s economy through jobs, services and accommodation opportunities.
For me, it’s a no-brainer – this is a win for the city, for community and for visitors and I will do my all to advocate to industry and to the NSW Government that they choose Port Kembla as the location for NSW’s latest cruise terminal.
- Tania Brown is the newly elected Wollongong Lord Mayor.
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