The Batemans Bay Business and Tourism Chamber says the shire is the only East Coast destination able to put cruise ship passengers in striking distance of Canberra.

Chamber president David Maclachlan says a pier 800 metres off Hanging Rock dovetails with Canberra’s tourism strategy and would boost the shire’s economy.

He proposes a “low visual-impact, low environmental-impact pier” to allow passengers to walk ashore. It would be built in an area already dredged or used to dump dredge tailings.

“We don’t want to destroy this beautiful vista,” Mr Maclachlan told the Bay Post.

“According to the hydrologists, a pier has minimal impact on sea grasses. It would be in an area where they currently dredge and the sand and mud from that dredging, which extends out to Snapper Island, is basically where the pier will be.”

Mr Maclachlan said the tyranny of distance excluded Canberra from the cruise ship market.

“Canberra does not receive any people from the Sydney Cruise Terminal (or) from the Eden wharf,” he said.

“There is not the time frame to get people up and back. So this (the shire) is actually the only place on the East Coast that can deliver people up to Canberra and back.”

Mr Maclachlan said he pitched the plan to tourism specialists on a visit to the ACT with Eurobodalla Shire Council Mayor Liz Innes. 

“We spoke to Invest Canberra people and they (said) a pier down here fits into their destination management plan,” he said.

“This is probably just as important to Canberra as it would be to Batemans Bay and the shire.

“This could present a real game changer for Eurobodalla industry. It provides … a multiplier effect across a lot of different businesses. Tourism is our biggest provider to the gross regional product in this shire.”

Mr Maclachlan commended Cr Innes and the council for including the proposal in a preliminary strategy.

“When (Cr Innes) came into office, she could see the importance of infrastructure,” he said. 

“The council had engaged consultants for the deep water marina feasibility (study) and they have included the proposal in that. The council could see this was a potentially important project and to include it in a feasibility study they had already commenced – you have to give them credit for that - fantastic.”

Eurobodalla Shire Council confirmed the proposal was given to consultants considering a deep-water marina.

“The Batemans Bay Chamber approached the council and asked if it were possible to include the feasibility for a cruise ship pier and terminal within the scope of the marina study,” a spokeswoman said.

“The council agreed and the preliminary report was received in early June. It’s a lengthy study and councillors and staff will take time to review it before the report is made public.”

Mayor Liz Innes was positive about the proposal, and more so after a meeting with Visit Canberra: “They understand just how important this would be for tourism in Canberra.”

“A cruise ship terminal in Batemans Bay would provide the only access point to Canberra for cruise ship passengers, so Visit Canberra is making all the right noises about the proposal,” she said. 

“This reinforced for us the even broader economic development significance of the project, and how that factors into our ability to attract funding from other levels of government. 

“A pier could also open up potential for Batemans Bay’s waterways as a future freight hub. There’s a lot of work to go through yet and much to investigate, but all worthwhile journeys start with those first few steps.”