A $3.25m refurbishment of Fremantle Passenger Terminal has been completed, as part of a state government effort to boost cruise ship tourism in Western Australia.
According to a state government release, the refurbishments include the ground floor foyer, new decorative glass panelling dividing the escalators and within the customs hall and modern furniture for the transit area.
Fremantle Ports hired Cox Architecture to design the works and consult on heritage conservation requirements.
The terminal is said to have the berthing capacity to handle large cruise ships and space for servicing large numbers of passengers.
Ports minister Alannah MacTiernan said the $3.25m makeover was a major improvement to the visual experience and comfort for cruise passengers.
“The terminal upgrade is one of a suite of McGowan Government initiatives aimed at attracting more cruises to WA, which means more jobs for Western Australians,” Ms MacTiernan said.
“Achieving better links between the passenger terminal, the Fremantle train station and Fremantle CBD will be part of our planning for the future of Victoria Quay.”
Tourism minister Paul Papalia said the cruise sector was an increasingly important sector of Western Australia’s tourism industry.
“For example, the cruise ship in Fremantle [recently], Seven Seas Mariner, is a six-star ship bringing 560 tourists to four Western Australian ports during a circumnavigation of Australia,” he said.
“The McGowan Government’s upgrades at Fremantle, Broome and Geraldton ports will see the Sun Princess homeport in Perth for the 2019-2020 season, injecting $32m into the state’s economy and generating a 100% increase in cruise ship guests sailing from WA compared with last season.”
