Setbacks for cruise ships at Broome

The state government has been forced to allocate an extra $8 million to a dredging program at Broome Port, while an independent report has ruled out the use of a below deck gangway for cruise ships at the port.

Having flagged a $7 million investment for dredging at Broome last year, the government said geotechnical investigations had revealed a higher density and volume of rock would need to be dredged, resulting in additional $8 million being committed to the project.

Work to dredge the port channel will allow round-the-clock access for cruise ships, which currently need to dock at irregular hours due to the port’s navigational hazards.

The dredging is scheduled to take place in mid-2019, after initially being planned for the end of 2018.

The government said the port would be ready for the 2019 cruise season in October.

Meanwhile, an independent report received by the Kimberley Ports Authority has ruled out a below deck gangway as an option for the Broome wharf due to risk to passenger safety risks.

The report said below deck access would place passengers in the crush zone and the slope of the gangway would not meet Australian standards.

The port authority said it would proceed with an above deck gangway design.

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said the funding commitment had been increased to ensure the best possible outcome for shipping accessibility.

“Providing unrestricted cruise ship access to Broome, along with the creation of cheaper airfares from Perth to Broome, is creating real opportunities for more people to visit the Kimberley,” she said.

“Cruise liners are eager to include Broome on their itineraries and the local benefits are obvious - Carnival alone contributes about $32 million in economic benefits by visiting places like Broome, Albany, Busselton and Geraldton.”

The state government estimates that the cruise industry employs around 1,400 full-time jobs and injects $276 million to the local economy in 2017-18.

That is down about $100 million from the previous year, after Carnival Cruises told the state government in May last year it would stop using Fremantle as a home port due to the poor conditions of WA’s ports.

The state government announced a number of improvements in response, including a $3 million refurbishment at Fremantle Port and the $7 million dredging program.

In March, cruise ship operator Princess Cruises announced Fremantle as the home port for its Sun Princess superliner for a record period in 2019-20.