A CONTRACT for a new four-lane ferry across the Daintree River has been awarded to a company which has previously designed, built and delivered ferries for Sydney Harbour.
Douglas Shire Council officially approved a recommendation to award the design, construction and operation of the new Daintree River ferry to Birdon Pty Ltd on Tuesday.
Cost not revealed
But the council did not reveal the contract cost which is expected to be in the millions of dollars.
A council spokesman said “contract negotiations between (the) council and Birdon are ongoing”.
“The new ferry and service is a fee-for-service model over a period of 20 years with conservative assumptions for usage, CPI increases and minor adjustments to tickets fees indicating the ferry service will be sustainable across the long term,” he said.
“The new ferry contract will have no impact on council rates.”
The council says the ferry “will dramatically improve efficiency and reduce wait times for residents and visitors crossing the Daintree River”.
The new ferry will replace the ageing, existing three-lane ferry, which is nearing the end of its life.
Birdon operates seven cable-drawn vehicle ferries at six crossings in the greater Sydney region for Transport for NSW.
Douglas Shire Mayor Lisa Scomazzon said it was a major milestone in the highly-anticipated upgrade.
“This is a huge step forward for our community. Birdon has delivered ferries from their Port Macquarie shipyard on behalf of Transport for NSW and we’re
excited to see their expertise brought to the Daintree River,” she said.
Reduction in waiting times
“The new four-lane ferry will significantly reduce queue lengths and provide a more reliable and efficient service for locals, tourists, and businesses.
The decision was made at a special council meeting held at the Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre last Tuesday (August 12).
The ferry will be privately owned and operated under an initial agreement of 20 years.
The new vessel will be supported by upgraded landside infrastructure (being designed and constructed by Durack Civil) to streamline loading and unloading, further enhancing the experience for passengers.
Completion is scheduled for December 2027 to coincide with the arrival of the new ferry.
Cr Scomazzon told the council meeting that it was “quite exciting” and one of the biggest contracts the council would be involved in.
She said a lot of work was undertaken by councillors and council officers over many weeks to bring the deal together.
Cr Scomazzon said the outcome was “the best for the Shire and good value for money”.
“I can’t wait to see it in the water,” she said.
$9m for landside works
In May this year more than $9 million was committed to upgrading surrounding roads and infrastructure on either side of the crossing.
The landside infrastructure design will include priority, dual waiting and exit lanes that will aim to reduce queue lengths and waiting times.
“The Daintree River ferry upgrade and associated landside civil works will provide quicker access for locals and tourists across the Daintree River and reduce queuing congestion and potential blockages during peak tourism season,” Cr Scomazzon said at the time.
She said both sides of the river needed upgrades.
“We need to improve the road infrastructure both north and south of the river to accommodate the eventual larger four-lane ferry,” she said.
A council report said the ferry provided a critical transport link for about 950 residents and hundreds of thousands of annual visitors a year on whom the businesses north of the river depend.
Popular with tourists
“The tourism season sees a large influx of tourist vehicles to the area. During peak periods, the population swells significantly due to tourism,” the report said.
“Over 100 small businesses operate in the region, including 43 active tourism operators, most of which rely on uninterrupted access for guests, deliveries and staff.
“In peak times, traffic can extend towards the Mossman Daintree Rd (highway) some 2km with wait times up to two hours.
“The Daintree River ferry upgrade and associated landside civil works will provide quicker access for locals and tourists across the Daintree River and reduce queueing congestion and potential blockages during peak tourism season.”
