Daintree ferry PR disaster

THE Daintree ferry shutdown has reached a crisis.

Angry residents and business operators are threatening a Daintreestyle blockade.

More than 30 years ago protestors tried to stop bulldozers pushing a road through pristine rainforest.

They were arrested and the event became international news, showcasing the beauty of the Daintree, which was later protected under a World Heritage listing.

Now the Daintree faces another protest by residents and business operators over the council’s handling of a five-day ferry shutdown late next month.

The ferry is required by law to be taken out of the water and surveyed as part of an Australian Maritime Safety Authority ruling.

The council’s solution is to run a passenger-only ferry across the river and shuttle people by buses.

But this is unacceptable by stakeholders in the area, who say they were not consulted, and a community meeting is planned tomorrow night.

Meeting organiser Jeremy Blockey says the shuttle will not get tourists and visitors to their accommodation and tour destinations.

The former Cairns Chamber of Commerce president also says he has found a landing barge that is available at the end of February to transport vehicles.

If the council doesn’t find an alternative and acceptable solution “we may decide on a modern-day Daintree blockade to demonstrate what it might mean to put your life on hold for five days”, he said.

This issue has become a public relations nightmare for the council.