Daintree ferry returns to water after ‘gruelling’ five days

DAINTREE FERRY



DOUGLAS Shire Mayor Julia Leu has praised the ‘gruelling’ effort to get the Daintree ferry back in the water inside five-days.

The ferry returned to the Daintree River yesterday after a controversial inspection conducted by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. It resumed normal operations at 6am this morning.

“This was a gruelling five days and workers battled through the elements of tropical Far North Queensland to get the job done,” Mayor Leu said. ?

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“Every single one of those workers should give themselves a pat on the back – it was a hard slog and tremendous effort.”?

Mayor Leu praised the ferry contractors and businesses that completed the works, which included pulling the vehicle vessel onto dry land for the first time in 12 years. She also thanked residents and businesses north of the river for their ‘patience and flexibility’ during the process.?

“This was a huge effort from everyone,” Cr Leu said. ?

“From emergency services that stationed officers across the river, to local contractors who supplied support services such as the barge, passenger ferry, traffic control and security.

“It is really heart-warming to see the community band together.”

A free shuttle bus for locating and retrieving vehicles is operating this morning.


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