Cruise ship passengers will now have easier and safer access to tourism pontoons off Cairns and Port Douglas.

Community feedback and full environmental assessments helped ensure four new anchorages at Moore Reef, Norman Reef and Agincourt Reef will not compromise environmental values.

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Tourism and Recreation Director Lisha Mulqueeny said the anchorages would have minimal impact on the environment and cause little displacement of other reef users.

“The new anchorages are only a fraction of the size of the original anchorages proposed, having been decreased to a single GPS point,” she said.

“The anchorages are located on soft seabeds not coral or rocky outcrops so this will ensure the Word Heritage protected Great Barrier Reef is not harmed.”

Ms Mulqueeny said many modern cruise ships also had dynamic positioning systems enabling them to remain in position at a specific location without anchoring, helping preserve the marine environment.

“Cruise ships can provide a sustainable way for large numbers of people to visit the reef with minimum impact, and we would encourage vessels with dynamic positioning systems to use them in situations where they are only making short stops to offload passengers,” she said.

“The anchorages are expected to bring significant benefits to the regional economy by providing safe and ready access for cruise ships.”

The cruise ship anchorages were carefully assessed for navigational safety by a small team with representatives from Australian Reef Pilots, the Navy's Hydrographic Office and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

Cruise Down Under Chairman Richard Doyle said their association supported the installation of the new anchorages.

“The new anchorages in the Cairns area are a considerable enhancement, allowing ease of access and more choices of anchorages for an emerging and important cruise ship industry,” he said.

“We regularly receive inquiries from cruise companies about access to these areas, and it’s pleasing to be able to announce the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has opened up four new anchorages to the cruise industry.”

Cruise companies must book to use cruise ship anchorages, however these sites are not reserved exclusively for use by cruise ships.

Other tourism operators and the public can access these sites (the sites will not have any infrastructure, such as moorings) at any other time and undertake any activity that is permitted under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan.