Plans Continue for Australia's Cairns Port Upgrade Project

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources Australia (Perth, Australia)--Far North Queensland Ports Corporation Limited (trading as Ports North) (Cairns, Australia) wants to upgrade parts of the Cairns Seaport in Queensland to support the rising number of visiting mega-class cruise ships.

The company is continuing environmental studies in preparation for submitting the project's draft environmental impact statement (EIS) in September this year to the Queensland Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning. Port officials have seen substantial opposition to any proposed dredging, along with a dredge material placement area (DMPA), near the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Ports North is striving to prove that the project and the DMPA would not hurt the reef.

The proposed project includes a dredging program to widen and deepen the existing channel; extend the channel; and create a new ship swing basin by dredging to the inner harbour, allowing for future expansion of the HMAS Cairns Naval Base, which also operates in the port. The existing cruise ship wharves (1-5) would be upgraded and land-based services would be expanded to accommodate mega-class cruise ships.

Project developers aim to enlarge the port to support the rising number of mega-class cruise ships that choose Cairns as a destination. Currently, one-third of the cruise ships visiting the area are unable to enter the Cairns Port because of their sizes.

"This project delivers significant economic benefits to both Cairns and the state of Queensland," Brett Moller, chairman of Ports North said. "Without these improvements to the channel width and depth, mega-class ships will not be able to enter the Port."

Visits to the port by mega-class cruise ship are forecast to grow by 61 per year by 2025. The proposed infrastructure upgrades are estimated to benefit the regional economy by $436 million.

The project is close to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, and all dredging activities are strictly monitored and require extensive approvals from state regulatory bodies, such as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA). Sixteen baseline studies of the area have been completed, and the draft EIS will assess the impact that the proposed project would have on the surrounding area. The study includes extensive community consultation.

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