Daintree River Sand Removal
Starts Thursday 16 March 2023
A contractor will remove sand and silt from the Daintree River Ferry channel from 10pm to 5am starting Thursday 16 March for up to two weeks.
Due to the recent flood events in the Daintree River on 17-18 February and 26 February 2023, Council needs to dredge to avoid disruption to the ferry service.
Minor delays may be experienced for those travelling across the Daintree River between 10pm and midnight.
The work will ensure there are no further interruptions to ferry services which operate from 5am to midnight every day.
Council worked closely with the ferry operators to finalise arrangements for the removal of sand.
We would like to thank the public for their patience and understanding.
A new ferry and upgrades to approach roads will seek to address the issue of lengthy waiting times at the Daintree Ferry in the peak tourism season. These measures will also improve the level of service for regular ferry users.
In August 2022, Douglas Shire Council resolved to replace the existing Daintree Ferry with a single ferry capable of increased loading capability and associated landside infrastructure upgrades on both riverbanks.
The aim is to increase in the number of vehicles carried across the river every hour to offer a better tourism experience for visitors and reduced travel time for locals.
Quarterly updates will be provided to Councillors and the public at Ordinary Council Meeting.
These can also be viewed below:
Quarterly Updates
2023
- January – click here to view quarterly repot #2
- April – not yet available
- July – not yet available
- October – not yet available
2024
- January – not yet available
- April – not yet available
- July – not yet available
- October – not yet available
2025
- January – not yet available
- April – not yet available
- July – not yet available
- October – not yet available
Statistics
Council has been collecting data on the usage of the Daintree Ferry since 2004. Below you’ll find graphs depicting total annual ticket sales of one-way and return traffic for the two most popular vehicle types using the ferry.
Council also records data for a variety of other vehicle types, concessional travel and multi-day tickets.
Additional Information:
- August 2022 – Daintree Ferry Crossing Solution – click here
- September 2021 – Daintree River Ferry Probity Report – click here
- May 2021 – Daintree River Ferry Service Contract – click here
- May 2021 – Daintree Ferry Purchase – click here
- November 2020 – Compass Research Report – Bridge/Ferry Survey – click here
- November 2020 – Bridge Or Ferry Submissions – click here
- August 2020 – Daintree River Crossing Options Assessment Report – click here
