Daintree Ferry profits on the rise, but below budget
Annual report
The cash brought in from the Daintree Ferry by Douglas Shire Council last financial year is about $4.5m, up $600,000, from $3.9m the year before.
But the ferry revenue still came in under the council’s forecasted budget by about $160,000 “primarily due to a reported slower rebound of the tourism season”, according to the council’s annual report released this week.
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“Revenue from the Daintree Ferry has returned to pre-Cyclone Jasper as closure to the ferry and associated roads impacted 2024 revenue,” the report stated.
This revenue stream, however, is expected to change comprehensively in coming years, with the DSC recently signing a 20-year lease for a new larger Daintree Ferry to be built and run by NSW maritime engineering company Birdon.
The details of that contract are being kept under wraps for now, while the council has also begun working on plans to revamp the lead-up areas.
“With more than $9 million committed to surrounding road upgrades, including priority lanes and dual exits, the approaches on either side of the river will begin to look very different next year, improving access and reducing congestion for locals and visitors alike,” Mayor Lisa Scomazzon stated in the annual report.
“This is a once-in-a-generation investment in one of our most iconic transport links.”
Birdon is set to take over operations of the Daintree River service from this July, with the new ferry expected to hit the water at the end of 2027.
The four-lane ferry will be about 50m long and more than 15m wide, and is designed to carry 36 cars - nine more than can currently travel across.
When the contract was awarded earlier this year, Cr Abigail Noli said the day ended “many years of frustration” after the ferry was bought by DSC in 2021, then leased out to a private company.
Deputy Mayor Roy Zammataro said at the time the decision had been a “long time in the making”.
“Since Council resolved to purchase the Daintree Ferry it’s placed a significant financial strain on ratepayers,” Cr Zammataro said.
“Not only due to the initial purchase price, but also the ongoing maintenance costs of an ageing vessel.”
The transfer of the ferry back into private hands was a key issue for Cr Zammataro at the 2024 council elections.
In 2023, Cr Zammataro said the Council had been making close to $1m per year profit at one stage, but now “any profit that is made is going to be used on maintenance”.
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