The Melbourne newspaper ‘The Age' quoted Doyle as saying international visitors could be ferried up the Yarra River to Docklands, putting them within ‘a one-minute walk to a tram, the iconic Melbourne way to come into the city.’
He said the man-made island could have tourist facilities and provide specialty docking for super liners, no matter how big, both now and into the future.
Services provided by the federal government, such as passport controls, could be conducted on the island, he said.
‘It could be a very vital part in doubling the number of cruise ships that come to Melbourne and as they get bigger and bigger we are less and less attractive if we only have Station Pier,' he said.
‘We don’t really compete terribly well, because Station Pier was never purpose-built for luxury liners. It was a very utilitarian docking point and that’s not what luxury liners want and it’s not what this particular clientele wants.’
Doyle said on top of the potential for passenger spending, there is also the ‘major business’ of re-provisioning the ships.
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