EXCLUSIVE: DEAD FERRY SINKING: Revealed, the extraordinary financial burden on DSC ratepayers to keep ferry operational

SINKING SHIP

Michael Warren

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The Daintree Ferry continues to be a burden on DSC ratepayers. Picture: Newsport

It’s the asset that keeps Douglas Shire staff awake at night and one, Councillors are hellbent on trying to get rid of once and for all.

Council bought the big grey elephant – the Daintree Ferry, back on May 17, 2021 at the hefty tag of $4.5M and officially took control of the vessel on July 1, of the same year.

Since then, the aging vessel has been plagued with problems.

It’s required more maintenance and upkeep then Council ever anticipated and has been pulled from the water for unscheduled works more times than locals care to mention.

Now, for the first time, in a Newsport exclusive, we’ve obtained a document that presents unaudited figures of just how much of a sinking ship the ferry has proved for the hardworking residents of the Douglas Shire since its acquisition two years ago.

After its purchase Douglas Shire Council’s final figures regarding the ferry by the end of the 2020/21 financial year came in at around $4,289,832.

The following 12 months for the 21/22 financial year the ferry run at a loss of approximately ($593,648). In the same year around ($524,713) was spent to fix the northern ramp replacement ($155,502), southern ramp replacement ($291,535) and design works for landside infrastructure ($77,676).

This year when Council closes the books on another year of ownership for the 2022-23 financial year the forecasted estimated figure was expected to be around a loss of ($496,737).

In 2022-23, $1.6M was spent on the upkeep of the ferry which included the AMSA inspection, eg costs and inspection works ($638,308), ($552,402) on capital improvements to vessel (new cables, engine replacement, ramp cylinders, drive shaft etc).

The northern ramp replacement $209,710, design works for infrastructure ($155,349) and a wifi upgrade ($45,433).

So, in total, since the ferry has been under Council ownership it will have cost ratepayers/Council approximately upwards of around $2.6M to ensure it has remained functional and operational.

Just weeks’ ago Douglas Shire Councillor Roy Zammataro was adamant it was time to bid farewell to the aging vessel.

“We’re talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars of ratepayers money, being spent on an aging ferry,” Cr Zammataro recently told Newsport.

“When it was in control of a private contractor, Council were making close to $1M a year profit on it, now any profit that is made is going to be used on maintenance.

“It’s an (ongoing) financial disaster for Council and for the Shire really.”

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