Tag: Daintree River Crossing Options

The survey results are in with Douglas Shire preferring a two-ferry crossing over a bridge at the Daintree River. The detailed results, released on Douglas Shire Council’s website today, revealed a majority of those who completed the Daintree River Crossing Survey preferred a two-ferry service with 66% of the count, compared to 33% of people who chose a bridge.

Today’s featured Letter to the Editor addresses claims of a proposed bridge over the Daintree River being more environmentally friendly than. the ferry. “Members of Douglas Shire Sustainability Group (DSSG) have participated in the Douglas Shire Council’s process which is aimed at determining the appetite of residents and others for a bridge over a two ferry system, as a means of crossing the Daintree River. As the arguments in favour of a bridge have been eroded, we have noted that proponents are sticking with two arguments to support their claim that a bridge is less environmentally damaging than a ferry.”

The Douglas Shire Council’s ‘Daintree River Crossing – Options Assessment Report’ gives the costs of the four bridge options as between $53 and $75 million with the average of $60 million compared to the double ferry option of $2.8 million. The two lowest cost bridge options require the clearing of endangered forest types. It is highly unlikely that permits would be issued to clear this endangered vegetation when there are other options .

As a general member of the community with no affiliations to any political group I feel it’s important for the people of the Douglas Shire to have oversight of ALL of the questions being submitted to the DSC and the DSC’s responses. So, I am respectfully requesting that my questions and answers be published on the DNN website and Facebook page if you are agreeable.

DOUGLASNEWS.NETWORK The current Daintree River Crossing Options poll has become a football match where the umpires have changed the goal posts and the rules without…

The Douglas Shire Council is currently conducting a poll on a bridge versus a two-ferry option. The actual consultation is restricted and people have told us that information being presented is insufficient and misleading. Many people do not regard the process as free, fair and transparent, as it looks like a deliberate push for a bridge under the guise of consultation. Push polling is a common tactic used to get people to support one side of a poll over the other.

Douglas Shire Council hosted a public consultation meeting on Monday, as the first of seven community meetings concerning the Interim Report from Council on the Daintree River crossing options. The meeting’s specific focus was the “financial and services aspects of a bridge or two ferries.”

As a retired Community Development Worker experienced in social research for community organisations and local government, I believe it is important to explore the current research/survey methodology being undertaken by the Douglas Shire Council.

I was the superintendent of Mossman Hospital in 1983 as the Daintree blockade, led by Mike Berwick, was unfolding. While the Blockade was ultimately unsuccessful and a new road was carved from Cape Tribulation to Bloomfield, the Blockade led to the World Heritage listing of the Daintree Rainforest, limiting its development and totally preventing logging..Fast forward to 2020 – the year of COVID-19….The Bloomfield Track remains a windy unsealed road with steep sections. For an undisclosed reason, the new Council has re-opened the issue of building a bridge.  I don’t understand how this became a priority….

The Daintree River Crossing Options Report prepared by the Douglas Shire Council is not an economic analysis that governments would use to determine if an option is worth funding. Cost Benefit Analysis reports are used to show if a project generates a net public benefit or cost. The Cost Benefit Analysis shows: Two Ferry Option yields a $6.817 million net benefit while the Bridge Option yields a $40.644 million net cost.