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Carnival says Garden Island decision a blow to tourism
Carnival Australia said the outcome of a review into berthing ships at Garden Island naval base in Sydney "is a disappointment for Sydney and for Australian tourism".
The cruise line said the review "fails to provide a clear path for cruise ship access to Garden Island to encourage the cruise industry’s growing economic contribution".
The Hawke Review assessed whether there is scope to enhance cruise ship access to Garden Island without adversely impacting on its priority national security role of supporting Navy maritime operations.
The Review found that current and future Navy capability requirements of Garden Island are essentially incompatible with cruise ship access over the long-term, except on the existing basis, where a limited number of requests for berth bookings is considered by Navy based on extended notice and limited visits per year.
In February, Queen Mary 2, the biggest cruise liner to visit Australia, docked at Garden Island with Navy’s approval.
Carnival Australia said instead of reaching firm conclusions on the sensible use of public assets, "the report set a course for further reviews and delays, which denied the certainty international cruise operators needed for long term market planning".
Ann Sherry, the CEO of Carnival Australia, which operates a combined fleet of local and international cruise ships, said access to Garden Island for the overload of ships during peak cruise season remained the best solution.
"Leadership at the highest levels of government is essential or Australia risks putting a brake on the standout success of the tourism sector in a difficult economic environment," Sherry said.
"The report’s option of a new mooring off Mosman isn’t a solution and is no better than the current situation where international travellers’ first experience of Sydney is a ride to shore in a lifeboat.
"There are also alternatives for international cruise operators. Singapore and other major world cities have embraced cruising and have built state of the art facilities to make the most of the economic opportunity."
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