Pinkenba’s cruise infrastructure could play a larger role in accommodating visitors during the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games after a Port of Brisbane executive raised the possibility of bringing in additional cruise ships as temporary accommodation.
Port of Brisbane executive general manager Brendan Connell raised the idea at a Committee for Brisbane industry roundtable on 15 September, pointing to overseas events where cruise ships have been used to meet short-term accommodation demand. He said the existing cruise terminal could take only one vessel at a time, while other quayline space across the Port could potentially accommodate additional ships.
No additional berth has been nominated and no formal accommodation project has been announced. Pinkenba has waterfront infrastructure beyond the Brisbane International Cruise Terminal, but those facilities have yet to be proposed as locations for Games accommodation.
Pinkenba already handles Brisbane’s major cruise traffic
The Brisbane International Cruise Terminal is located at 1 Cruise Terminal Drive, Pinkenba, at Luggage Point near the mouth of the Brisbane River. The Port says the terminal is about 12 kilometres from Brisbane Airport and 21 kilometres from the CBD.
The dedicated terminal includes passenger arrivals, check-in, security and quarantine areas, luggage facilities, coach and taxi access and onsite parking. It is Brisbane’s main facility for cruise ship calls.
Connell said additional cruise capacity could help respond to the temporary surge in accommodation demand expected during the Games. Any expansion beyond the existing terminal would take time to put in place.
Other Port berths already operate at Pinkenba
Port of Brisbane records show that the company manages a Pinkenba Common User Facility in addition to the dedicated cruise terminal. Its booking information lists Pinkenba among four common-user berths managed by the Port and says the Pinkenba Bulk Wharf has a terminal supporting the loading and unloading of cargo.
The Pinkenba common-user wharf is part of the Port North precinct, used for cereals, silica sand, general cargo, wet bulk and fertiliser. The facility is therefore an established cargo berth rather than a regular passenger cruise terminal.
Port procedures also require vessel movements to be assessed against factors including berth and channel depths, navigation restrictions and swing-basin requirements. International vessels using common-user facilities must comply with applicable biosecurity requirements.
Hotel supply falls behind projected demand
The cruise-ship proposal comes as new research points to a widening accommodation gap ahead of 2032.
The Property Council of Australia’s 2026 Queensland Hotels Outlook found that only one new hotel had opened across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast during the previous 12 months, despite continued growth in visitor demand. Its probability-adjusted development pipeline represents about 24 per cent of the additional hotel rooms it says will be required by 2032.
Brisbane City Council has also described South East Queensland as facing a critical shortage of hotel rooms before the Games. Council says the region currently has about 46,000 hotel rooms and that hotel construction in Brisbane fell by 90 per cent between 2019 and 2024.
Council is separately considering planning changes aimed at encouraging more accommodation on suitable suburban pub sites as part of its Suburban Pub Stays Strategy.
Cruise ships have been used as temporary accommodation at previous major sporting events, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Published 16-Sept-2026
