A proposal to further increase the Cruise Wharf's capacity to allow for larger/more frequent ships to visit Eden NSW Australia was met with strong community concerns.
The NSW Port Authority held one of two info sessions at the Eden Welcome Centre on Tuesday, August 16, to gather feedback on its proposal, with another session to be held Wednesday evening, August 17.
The proposal claims to be responding to demand from the Royal Australian Navy and cruise ships. According to Peter Ernst, Port Authority of NSW's head of regional ports, it was still early days in the consultation process.
Currently, up to 60 liners can visit Eden each year. The proposal will look to entirely remove that cap.
The plan would also increase the size limit of cruise ships allowed, up from 3000 guests to ~7000.
The draft amendments would allow vessels to berth around the clock, 7 days per week.
In its current form, the cruise wharf was finished in 2019.
The proposal seeks to install another mooring dolphin, ~60 m / 197 ft from the existing dolphins' stations close to the current wharf.
The proposed changes caused a stir among the residents of the port town.
The NSW Port Authority announced that feedback from the community would form part of the environmental assessment process of the proposal.