New company takes over running of Daintree ferry
Shire transport
The move to a larger Daintree ferry next year is starting to take shape, with two milestones achieved in the past month.
New ferry owners Birdon started operating the Daintree River Ferry this week, taking over from Douglas Shire Council.
The transition marks the next phase of Birdon’s 20-year contract to design, build, operate and maintain the ferry.
Ferry operations manager John Gray said Birdon’s immediate priority is ensuring continuity of service and consistent communication throughout the transition.
“We understand how critical the ferry is to everyday life, local businesses, freight and tourism,” Mr Gray said.
“Our team is in place, local maintenance arrangements are ready, and our focus is on safe, reliable operations from day one.
Douglas Shire Mayor Lisa Scomazzon welcomed the changeover.
Birdon also continues construction of the new four-lane cable ferry, which will replace the existing vessel that is nearing the end of its service life.
Birdon marked a significant milestone last month with a keel-laying ceremony at the Port Macquarie shipyard, where the vessel is being built.
“A keel laying ceremony marks the symbolic birth of a ship, representing the formal transition from engineering design to physical construction,” according to the company.
“The keel laying marks the point at which the project physically “takes shape”, transitioning from early fabrication into major hull assembly and structural construction.”
Construction of the new Daintree ferry started in January and is scheduled to enter service in late 2027.
The new ferry is a four‑lane, cable‑drawn vessel, which will be about 50m long and 17m wide.
The ferry will carry up to 36 vehicles per crossing, compared with 27 vehicles on the current one.
