An Ordinary Council meeting of the Douglas Shire Council will be held tomorrow Tuesday, 27 June 2023, at 10am. Councillor Roy Zammataro has submitted a Notice of Motion to Douglas Shire Council giving notice of his intention to move the following Motion at tomorrow’s Council meeting:
” I move that Council; Temporarily suspend Item 3.1 Daintree Ferry Crossing Solution, from the 9 August 2022, while: Council invite Expressions of Interest from private enterprise to own and operate the Daintree River Ferry.
Notes it is in the public interest to invite expressions of interest before inviting written tenders for the following reasons:
- To understand Early Market Engagement with potential Suppliers;
- To understand the scope potential and what the market may be able to offer;
- To enable the market to better understand potential compliance issues with
- the project and environmental controls due to the location of the site; and
- To enable the market to better understand the logistics of working in Far
- North Queensland, particularly within the Wet Tropics.β
Summary
Since the Mayoral Minute issued on 28 April 2020, the general public has essentially been in
a state of stagnation.
The purpose of the Mayoral Minute was to halt contract negotiations while the Council
explored alternative options, including a bridge crossing, with input from the community.
The outcome of the consultation clearly demonstrated that a bridge was not the preferred
choice.
Subsequently, during a Special Meeting on 17 May 2021, the Council agreed to acquire the
existing Daintree River Ferry.
Apart from the initial purchase cost of $4.5 million, the ferry’s ownership has incurred
significant expenses for ratepayers in terms of maintenance and repairs.
These costs will persist due to the ferry’s aging condition.
To prevent further financial burden on ratepayers, it is necessary for the ferry to be once again owned and operated by a qualified private contractor with expertise in marine transport.
Council Meetings are now open to the public. There will be a maximum of 10 people allowed (due to size of the room and to allow for social distancing) who will not need to pre-register.
In line with government regulations, Council requires that all guests register (to assist with contract tracing) their details prior to entering the Meeting Room.
Tomorrow’s meeting will be live-streamed online and can be access by clicking here.
DouglasNews.Network will report on the outcome of tomorrow’s meeting.
