By
Rebecca Gibson |
Australia’s New South Wales Government is to invest AUS$49 million to improve Sydney’s cruise infrastructure, ensuring it can meet the growing numbers of ships and passengers visiting the city.
Construction work to improving passenger, provisioning and traffic flows in and around Sydney Ports’ Overseas Passenger Terminal (OPT), located in the city’s iconic Circular Quay, is to start this May.
Award-winning architect firm Johnson-Pilton-Walker has been contracted to help create more space to improve passenger flows inside the iconic building, while local company Watpac will carry out the AUS$22 million project. The majority of the critical works are expected to be completed by September at the end of Sydney’s low season.
“We believe the upgrade will deliver efficiencies that will enable ships to achieve a much smoother one-day turnaround, which is preferred by cruise industry itineraries,” said Grant Gilfillan, Sydney Ports CEO. “This will be achieved through the creation of additional space to improve provisioning operations and passenger flow, upgraded passenger amenities and a revised traffic solution, which calls for a deck extension at the southern end.”
In addition, the government will fund a second project to extend the OPT wharf towards Campbell’s Cove to enable large cruise ships to berth easily.
“The announcement comes just eleven months after we officially opened the AUS$57-million White Bay Cruise Terminal, which already is proving to be a big hit with cruise lines and passengers,” said Duncan Gay, roads and ports minister. “The OPT has served the cruise industry well since its last upgrade for the 2000 Olympics, but with annual cruise growth at record levels in recent years, the time is right to improve efficiency and make sure it is capable of regularly handling the bigger ships that are now becoming more common.”
The OPT is to remain operational throughout the construction period.