Queenslanders will have a new cruise terminal to call their own from late 2019, with the state government moving closer to rubber-stamping a proposal and for construction to begin on a new Port of Brisbane Cruise Terminal from early next year.

According to media reports in Brisbane, the privately funded and financed proposal will see the $100 million dollar facility built over two years at Luggage Point, near Brisbane Airport. The terminal will provide a brand new berth for the largest ships cruising in Australia to dock, with easier road access to the Brisbane CBD. The facility is slated to begin welcoming cruise ships starting from the 2019/2020 cruise season.

Currently, ships with a maximum length of 270 metres can navigate the Brisbane River and reach the Portside Wharf at Hamilton on the edge of the city. These ships pass under the Gateway Bridge and head upstream, however the explosive growth in Australian cruising in recent years has seen much larger ships sent to this part of the world, far exceeding the maximum specifications able to reach this terminal.

These larger ships instead berth at the Grain Terminal on the city’s outskirts – by most standards far from an ideal place to welcome holidaymakers.

The proposal is currently at a detailed stage and is before the Queensland Treasury before passing to the State Cabinet where it is widely expected to be formally approved – likely to take place in the next few months.