By Luke Voogt
Geelong will host its overnight first cruise ship visit in 20 years next month, according to the city’s tourism boss.
The Regatta will be one of five cruise ships to visit Corio Bay between now and 18 June when it drops anchor on 16 December before leaving the next day.
“It’s a good increase in numbers and we’re delighted that one of those ships will be staying overnight,” said Geelong and Bellarine Tourism executive director Roger Grant.
The Regatta was the only ship to stay overnight in at least 20 years that Mr Grant was aware of.
But the lack of a pier for “medium-sized” cruise ships to moor at was denying Geelong important revenue, Mr Grant said.
“We can do better,” he said.
Mr Grant said his organisation had looked at Cunningham Pier or the previously proposed Yarra Street Pier as options for mooring.
The suggestion that Cunningham Pier was unstable was a myth, and with engineering upgrades it could host cruise ships, he said.
“There have been a lot of resources spent on the Cunningham Pier,” he said.
“The Yarra Street Pier starting from scratch is a massive project.”
Former Geelong mayor Darryn Lyons lambasted the State Government for failing to date to fund a cruise ship pier.
The government recently announced a further $3.5 million for the $13.5m project for the Royal Geelong Yacht Club.
“It’s such a waste of public money,” he said.
“We need ships staying overnight – not just for the day. (They are) floating money pit(s).”
Mr Lyons said the government had squandered millions for Geelong in its failure to work with the yacht club to build a pier.
“I’m a huge fan for funding for yacht club,” he said.
“But the government are complete and utter morons when it comes to town planning.”
Mr Lyons said his proposed Yarra Street Pier was a much better option than Cunningham Pier.
“Cunningham Pier would fall over if a cruise ship butted against it.”
Mr Lyons took a privately funded trip to New Zealand as mayor, where saw how the cruise ship industry had transformed the local economy, he said.
