White Bay’s terminal illness

Residents surrounding the White Bay cruise ship terminal remain concerned about its adverse health impacts, despite the state government promising they are on track to reduced cruise ship pollution.
The terminal was a pivotal issue in the lead up to the state election, and the Baird government committed to regulating the pollution. Minister for the Environment Mark Speakman said that from July 1 2016, cruise ships in all NSW ports will be required to use fuel with a sulphur content of 0.1 percent or less.
Currently in NSW, up to 3.5 percent sulphur content in fuel is legal.
Mark Collier is an active campaigner against pollution from cruise ships in the White Bay area. He told City Hub that schools close to the terminal at White Bay no longer allow their students to do PE classes in parks nearby when ships are docked because “of the wheezing and coughing and asthma the kids experience as a result of their activity and exposure to the ships’ exhaust poisons”.
“At White Bay, more than 1,000 [students] go to schools within 600 metres of the source of these poisons emitted from ships tied up at the terminal,” he said.
“Progress is slow and several deadlines that [the state government] proposed for action have not been met. The opposition and lack of cooperation of the major cruise operator in Australia… has been a hampering factor in timely progression.”
Mr Collier said shore-to-ship power is the “fix that’s required”, as ships can turn off their engines while berthed instead of running their engines for the duration of their stay, which was formerly the case at both Circular Quay and White Bay.
But, pollution is not the only problem surrounding the terminal. Noise is another issue, as ships “consistently break the maximum noise limit regulations,” according to Mr Collier.
Mr Speakman said in a statement that the state government is “on track to deliver low fuel regulations for cruise ships”. He announced last Wednesday June 3 that community consultation was open on a new draft regulation that “follows concerns raised by residents living near the White Bay cruise terminal about emissions from cruise ships”.
Responding to community concerns, the Port Authority of NSW announced on May 27 that cruise ships were banned from docking overnight at White Bay cruise terminal until the state government enforces regulations on pollution.
“After the regulation is in place, vessels will be able to berth overnight at White Bay only if they are in compliance with the regulation,” read a statement from the Port Authority.
Mr Collier deemed this announcement as welcome but “not that significant”, as “no overnight stays are scheduled at White Bay until the week before Christmas”.
Greens member for Balmain Jamie Parker also welcomed the action but said in a statement that “it raises serious concerns about the Government’s commitment to phase out dirty high sulphur bunker fuel from July 1 this year”.
Leichhardt Council “cautiously welcomed” the news but called for more action “urgently”.