An artist's impression of the proposed Sydney Harbour Floating Heliport. Source: The Daily Telegraph
SYDNEY may not be able to get a second airport but Sydney Harbour is set to get a floating heliport from next month in a bid to woo more visitors.
Helicopters presently only operate from Sydney Airport, Bankstown Airport and a private heliport at Rosehill.
The state government has approved the plans of Newcastle Helicopters to host a large barge with heliport at several city Harbour locations.
It will be the first city heliport since a Darling Harbour-based service which stopped operating in the late 1980s.
The government said the proposal can be a tourism boon, in the way such chopper services around the city in New York are.
One of the designated areas for the heliport is located directly east of Fort Denison.
The government is also considering other sites, including near Barangaroo.
Newcastle Helicopters director James Guest said several sites would be used on the Harbour - for both tourist flights around the city and for transfers of business people from the airport at Mascot.
"There hasn't been a heliport in Sydney for over two decades and both the federal and state government have been looking for a solution for quite a while," Mr Guest said.
"I thought outside the square - if you make it water-based (you remove problems).
"Tourist flights are definitely a portion of it ... (but there will also be) airport transfers from Mascot for high-yield tourists and businesspeople, they can get from Mascot to the Harbour in five minutes." Mr Guest said he anticipated operating 20 flights a day, at the market price of $190 per person for an 18-minute flight.
The heliport would also be used by other operators, who would pay landing fees.
Mr Guest said others had come up with proposals before but his had got up because the "timing" was impeccable.
The Department of Trade and Investment had forwarded the idea to the department of Roads and Maritime Services, who had approved it.
Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner said Sydney was one of a handful of global cities without a city-based heliport.
"Industry leaders have long advocated a CBD-based heliport," Mr Stoner said.
"Lack of helicopter access to and from the CBD impacts on Sydney's potential both in terms of tourism and on the city's reputation as a centre for international business when compared to cities like London or New York.
"Barangaroo will be well served by public transport but helicopter access will enhance the site's attractiveness.
"Much like BridgeClimb, the Sydney Harbour Floating Heliport is a new signature experience that will help entice visitors to Sydney and make it easy for them to enjoy a birds-eye view of the Harbour."
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