New look at how Daintree ferry will appear
Shire transport
A fresh image of how the new Daintree Ferry will likely look has been released to the public.
The new design is by maritime engineering company Birdon, which yesterday officially signed off on a 20-year contract with Douglas Shire Council to design, build, operate and maintain the new four-lane ferry.
Birdon chief executive Jamie Bruce said the Australian company was family-owned.
“We’ve been building and operating ships and ferries for nearly 50 years,” Mr Bruce said.
“We’re committed to delivering a modern vessel that will reduce wait times and enhance service reliability.”
Birdon is set to take over operations of the Daintree River service from July, with the new ferry expected to start 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.
The Daintree Ferry will be the seventh cable-drawn ferry to be built by Birdon at its Port Macquarie, NSW, shipyard.
The company operates eight cable-drawn ferries in NSW and also maintains ferries for other councils.
Birdon, which has contracts with companies across the world in both the defence and private sectors, was selected from a range of applicants by DSC during confidential council meetings earlier this year.
The new ferry will be privately owned and operated under the 20-year agreement, but the contract details and price are being kept under wraps.
The transfer of the ferry back into private hands has been a key issue for Deputy Mayor Roy Zammataro for years, with ferry privatisation one of his main election platforms at the council elections in 2024.
Deputy Mayor Zammataro told an August council meeting 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.”
In 2023 Cr Zammataro said the Council had been making close to $1m per year profit before the ferry was privatised, but now “any profit that is made is going to be used on maintenance”.
“It’s a financial disaster for Council and for the Shire,” he said at the time.
While owned by DSC, the current Daintree Ferry - a three-lane vessel which can carry about 27 cars - is operated by TNQ Transport Services.
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