Travellers are urging the Queensland Government to urgently develop the areas surrounding Brisbane’s shiny new cruise terminal, labelling them ugly and unappealing.
Opened in June 2021, the gleaming $177 million facility is reinvigorating Queensland’s cruising sector, with ships no longer needing to pull up alongside a grain silo or cautiously tread the narrow Brisbane River to reach the ageing wharf at Hamilton.
However, approach roads to the new Luggage Point cruise terminal take travellers past construction waste dumps, petrol tanks and a sewerage treatment plant, leaving bad first and last impresions for eager holidaymakers.
According to Seven News, travellers say it is a bad look for Brisbane and not indicative of what a major global city should be portraying.
“For the people coming in from overseas, it’s not a very good way to portray lovely Brisbane,” said cruise-goer Nicola Dijkstra.
Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said there was no point telling the state’s stories to visitors if the first impression was not a pretty one.
Brisbane City Council told Seven News it was “very clear that access improvements are urgently required”.
A lack of transport options from the cruise terminal to the city and surrounding suburbs were further exacebating the issue, travellers said.