Townsville QLD (Queensland Australia)

Townsville is a port city located on Queensland's northeastern coast (Australia). The city is adjacent to Great Barrier Reef's central section and is the largest city north of Australia's Sunshine Coast (population around 180,000). The city is considered North Queensland's unofficial capital, hosting numerous governmental and large business administrative offices.

Popular tourist attractions include The Strand (long beach and garden strip), Riverway (riverfront parkland on Ross River), Reef HQ (aquarium with flora and fauna from Great Barrier Reef), Museum of Tropical Queensland (relics from HMS Pandora / British warship), Castle Hill (popular fitness destination), Townsville Sports Reserve, Magnetic Island (52 km2-sized neighboring isle, approx 8 km / 5 mi to the east). Magnetic Island is one of the city suburbs (with ~2500 permanent residents) and is accessible via regularly scheduled ferries from Townsville to Nelly Bay Harbour.

Australian Festival of Chamber Music is an annual international festival held over 10 days each July in Townsville and attracts many acclaimed Australian and international musicians. The city has its own orchestra (Barrier Reef Orchestra) presenting concerts throughout North Queensland. Townsville Entertainment Centre (capacity 5,000 seats) hosts national and international music, sporting and trade shows. Townsville Civic Theatre is North Queensland's premier cultural facility, the center of entertainment and performing arts.

Port Townsville QLD

Port Townsville Queensland (locode AUTSV) currently has a total of 8 berths and is ranked Northern Australia's largest container and automotive port. The Port is the largest in the North Queensland region, starting operations in 1864.

The Port is approx 1360 km (845 mi) north of Brisbane.

Today, the Port supports ~8000 jobs and serves a population of ~800,000. Its main cargoes are imported essential goods (electrical, fuel, gas, furniture, cement, bitumen) and exports (local agricultural products and minerals). In the financial year 2016-2017, the port handled nearly AUD 8 billion in shipping trade.

The Port is Australia's largest exporter of minerals (copper, zinc, lead) as well as sugar, it serves over 20 direct shipping lines, offers over 40 services and links Australia with 136 international cargo ports.

Port's main imports include cars, tires, general cargo, cement, sulphuric acid, fertilizers, minerals (copper, nickel, zinc, copper anode), petroleum products, gas, sulfur, TEU containers (furniture, electrical and household goods, clothing, construction materials).

Port's main exports are sugar, molasses, coke, tallow (animal fat), timber, fertilizers, TEU containers, live cattle, reefer containers (refrigerated meat), minerals (magnetite, copper, lead, zinc, zinc ferrite and oxide, silver), bulk cargo (sand, gravel), project cargo.

In November 2017, the port authority introduced a new welcome uniform for the cruise ship tourists welcoming staff. The new uniform's design features silk panels and blue (tropics-themed) scarves. The "cruise ship uniforms" are designed by local designers and will be updated each year.

Season 2018 started on Nov 29 with the 2016-built top luxury ship Seabourn Encore. In 2018, for the first time ever, P&O Cruises Australia partially homeported Pacific Eden in Townsville QLD. The vessel was officially based in Cairns QLD, for a total of 10 roundtrips. The partial turnaround in Townsville was scheduled for September 7 (2018), allowing some local residents (~400 passengers) to embark or disembark here.

In 2018, the cruise port handled 19 ship calls (compared to 10 in 2017, and 4 in 2016). In December, the port was visited by one of the newest and most luxurious cruise liners - Viking Orion (launched 2018, capacity 930 passengers, owned by Viking Cruises). In the post-COVID 2022-23 season, the Port handled 18 cruise ship calls.

In December 2017, Port Townsville received QLD government's approval to invest AUD 27,3 million into new gantry cranes and improvements of its cargo handling infrastructure. The project will develop local jobs and increase the efficiency of the container terminal and all cargo berths.

By this project, the new "Berth 4" (opened in 2018, project cost AUD 40,7 million) will serve as multi-use dock, Terminal's additional storage capacity and improved infrastructure will further ensure the port's growth in shipping traffic and cargo handling capacity. The port development plan ("Townsville Port Expansion Project") also included AUD193 million for Channel Capacity Upgrade - widening the port's navigational channels in order to allow access to larger-sized vessels (container ships and bulk cargo carriers).

Townsville Port Authority also manages Port Lucinda (approx 100 km / 60 mi north of Townsville), which main export is raw sugar. The port has sugar cargo handling and storage facilities and 1 trestle jetty (conveyor) that runs out to an open sea berth fitted with shiploader. The jetty is one of the world's longest (5,6 km / 3,5 ml) - travel time 22 min from the sugar storage sheds to the berth. Port Lucinda sugar terminal is operated by the company Lucinda Bulk Sugar Terminal (subsidiary of Queensland Sugar Ltd).

In 2021-2022 was reported a 25% increase in food and grain exports (including mung beans +55%, sorghum +32%), as well as molasses (+29%), general chemical products (+62%), general mining cargo (+25%), petroleum products (+21%), petroleum-based products (+14,5%, including jet fuel +47% and diesel +16%). Decreases were reported for livestock (-74%) and agricultural chemicals (-27%). Most of the Port's AU$40,39 million expenditures (2021-22) were for the Channel Upgrade project, which is Phase I of the 30-year Port Expansion Project budgeted AU$1,6 billion.

By the (2023-started) AU$251 million channel expansion project, the 9,3 mi/14,9 km-long access channel's width will be doubled as the waterway will be widened from 302 ft to 590 ft (92 to 180 m). The project (scheduled for completion in 2024) will result in the capacity to be accommodated bigger ships (both cargo and passenger/cruise) - with max LOA length 984 ft/300 m.

During season 2024-2025, Townsville Port conducted significant Quayside Terminal upgrades to accommodate the increase in tourists from large-size cruise vessels. Enhancements included the bus zone's expansion (to accommodate 12 busses/previously 4), the construction of a dedicated Kiss & Ride area, new seating, shade structures, and landscaping. An additional AU$3 million was allocated to renewable energy projects at the cruise terminal, including the installation of 430 solar panels and 60 battery banks on the building's roof (annual electricity generating capacity 279 MWh/ ~10% of the Port’s yearly power consumption). For 2024-205, the Port had booked a total of 24 cruise ship berthings (estimated 28,756 passengers plus 13,877 crew) contributing ~AU$10 million to Townsville's economy.

Townsville QLD cruise terminal