The Queensland Government has given the nod to stage 1 of a $100 million mega cruise ship terminal at the mouth of the Brisbane River. The site of the facility – a relatively deserted area known as Myrtletown – was chosen based on its proximity to the Brisbane Airport, its deep water frontage, and its potential for expansion if necessary in the future.

The proposed facility will potentially triple the size of Brisbane’s cruise industry over the next 20 years, growing to support 3750 jobs, and bringing 766,260 international and domestic cruise visitors annually to the city and state. It also means that more than one cruise ship will be able to dock in Brisbane at the same time.

During the next stage of the market-led proposal process, Port of Brisbane will complete detailed designs and all required environmental and technical investigations, with the final proposal subject to Government and Port of Brisbane Board approval, as well as approval from key stakeholders. Once the proper approvals are granted, construction is expected to kick off in early 2017, with the terminal being operational by 2019.