IT IS the news Central Queensland grain growers have been waiting more than a decade for: the Yamala GrainCorp site is set to be operational before winter harvest next year.
The intermodal grain transport hub has been on the cards since about 2000 – and GrainCorp managing director and chief executive officer Mark Palmquist was on-site on Tuesday to see the plans first-hand.
He said the company had listened to concerns from some growers who would have to travel a further 40km round-trip once the Emerald site is no longer operational.
He said those growers, specifically from the Gindie region, would see benefits through the upgrades of the facility.
“It is going to be one of those issues where until it gets built and they (growers) get a chance to experience that it is a benefit for them in terms of time and the ability to tip more tonnage in a day, they will then realise those benefits,” Mr Palmquist said.
Mr Palmquist said having the site 20km outside of Emerald would afford the company the luxury of being able to operate 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
The main push for the infrastructure was the connection to the rail network, which needed upgrades that the State Government will contribute 50 per cent to.
Mr Palmquist said it was concerning for the grains industry to see rail transport dropping considerably in the past few years. He said that without projects like the Yamala site, rail would not be viable for hauling grain and pulses in five years.
Mr Palmquist said the main drivers of the project were the economics behind road transport, maintaining a constant and uninterrupted supply chain, and safety within the industry.
AgForce grains president Wayne Newton, Dalby, was also on-site with Mr Palmquist, and said while there was “no question” the project has been a long time coming, the estimation that it would open on September 18, 2018, was a great success.
He said the project offered countless benefits to local growers.
“It’s a great new greenfield site with increase storage capacity, but it will also improve the turnaround time for farmers delivering grain,” Mr Newton said.
In the past, CQ growers delivering to the Capella and Emerald GrainCorp sites have faced lengthy delays – with trucks queued for hours for weighing and grading.
Mr Palmquist said that would be a thing of the past with the new facility.
Mr Newton said access to the rail network was crucial for growers.
”The cost of growers getting grain onto a boat to export can be one third of their total return,” Mr Newton said.
He said depending on seasons, CQ sees about 85 per cent of its grain exported.
“At some stages in the recent years we've seen probably 70 per cent or more of that go to port on truck,” he said.
Mr Newton said after the site opens, he hopes to see between 50 and 70 per cent of CQ grain going to port via train.