Tag: Daintree River Crossing Options

A coalition of organisations made up of Douglas Shire Sustainability Group, the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre, the Queensland Conservation Council, The Wilderness Society and the Australian Conservation Foundation have collectively written to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to raise concerns about development threats to the Daintree Lowland Rainforest…

A “Save the Daintree, Again” campaign is being launched by a coalition of local and national conservation groups who see the push for a bridge over the Daintree River, coastal road upgrade and reticulated electricity as a threat to the areas’ Outstanding Universal Values, the foundation of its World Heritage Listing.

Contrary to the Douglas Shire Council’s claim in its Daintree Crossings Options Paper that “no significant environmental or hydrological studies (are) required to obtain approvals (for a bridge)”, the Qld Department of Environment and Science have informed DouglasNews.Network that any impact on the National Park and World Heritage Area “….would require thorough assessment under the relevant State and Commonwealth legislation”.

“Many years ago, I put a petition to the Douglas Shire Council to build more speed bumps to Cape Tribulation to protect the cassowaries and other wildlife, and to slow the traffic and speeding. This was very successful.
Imagine what it would be like if a bridge went across. Endless traffic….”

Questions about the legality, process and cost of Douglas Shire Council’s decision to suspend the Daintree ferry contract and to explore a bridge remain unanswered… but will naturally surface given that this was the biggest contract ever awarded by the Douglas Shire.

Learn why a proposed Daintree Bridge may saddle the Douglas Shire Council and its ratepayers with over $60 million in debt…

The Daintree River Crossing Options Assessment Report, while meeting basic Council requirements, is woefully inadequate for such an environmentally sensitive area, and will undoubtedly receive national and international scrutiny and criticism.”

This article investigates the costings and issues associated with the four bridge options presented in Douglas Shire Council’s Daintree River Crossing – Options Assessment Report released in August 2020. (see References below). According to estimates, the lowest cost bridge option would be around $53 million with the other options being considerably more. The two ferry option will only cost $2.8 million and this will be rapidly recovered through ferry charges.

At the Douglas Shire Council Meeting held Tuesday 25 August, 2020, Council made its first tentative steps in the debate with a decision to release a consultation paper on the crossing of the Daintree River.