Today (Thursday July 1) marks ‘day one’ of an exciting era of sugarcane research, development and adoption (RD&A) investment for the Australian sugarcane industry, with Sugar Research Australia (SRA) officially commencing a new five-year Strategic Plan.
SRA CEO Roslyn Baker said that the Strategic Plan 2021-2026 had been developed with extensive consultation and feedback over the last 18 months and had culminated in a new plan built on five specific pillars of value.
These pillars are: strong foundations, a high-performing research portfolio, translation expertise, world-class sugarcane varieties, and commercial benefits and rewards.
“By focusing on these five strategic pillars, we have created a new direction for SRA that puts the company in the best possible position to deliver on our new vision,” she said.
SRA’s new vision is to be: A trusted partner, shaping the future prosperity of the Australian sugarcane industry and regional communities through innovation and ingenuity.
“This plan represents the biggest transformation of SRA since the company began operation in 2013,” Ms Baker said.
“Our plan is a growth strategy for research and development for the sugar industry. We are focused on delivering immediate value by providing valuable industry services, while also ensuring long-term sustainability and outcomes through re-invigorating the research investment portfolio and focusing on potential commercial opportunities.”
SRA’s new strategy will:
Support a portfolio approach to investment in RD&A to ensure a balance of investments that address both the current-day productivity and sustainability constraints for the industry, while anticipating the future opportunities and challenges ahead.
Leverage SRA’s internal research capability and regional footprint to increase the awareness and use of research knowledge to improve regional productivity and sustainability, facilitate regional collaboration and partnerships, and boost co-investment opportunities.
Continue to evolve and modernise our world-class sugarcane variety development program to meet the current and future needs of the industry.
Strategically invest in innovative crop protection that uses new science and technology so that the Australian sugarcane industry can lead the world, and exceed community expectations, in protecting our precious natural environment.
Ms Baker said she was grateful for the industry support and guidance for the development of the plan, as well as strong support from the SRA staff and Board.
“We have reshaped SRA to deliver the best bang for the buck when it comes to the investment that our government and industry stakeholders make in SRA,” she said. “We have also aligned our new plan strongly with the innovation agendas being targeted by the Australian and Queensland Governments.
“We look forward to talking with all of SRA’s partners and investors in coming weeks and months about our new strategic direction and how we can all work together to achieve the best possible outcomes for the industry.”
Joint media release with: The Hon. Scott Morrison MP, Prime Minister
15 June 2021
A new free trade agreement with the UK will deliver more Australian jobs and business opportunities for exporters, bringing both countries closer together in a changing strategic environment.
Prime Ministers Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson have agreed on the broad outlines of an Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
The FTA is the right deal for Australia and the United Kingdom, with greater access to a range of high-quality products made in both countries as well as greater access for businesses and workers, all of which will drive economic growth and job creation in both countries.
Australian producers and farmers will receive a significant boost by getting greater access to the UK market.
Australian consumers will benefit from cheaper products, with all tariffs eliminated within five years, and tariffs on cars, whisky, and the UK’s other main exports eliminated immediately.
The UK will liberalise Australian imports with 99 per cent of Australian goods, including Australian wine and short and medium grain milled rice, entering the UK duty free when the agreement enters into force.
Beef tariffs will be eliminated after ten years. During the transition period, Australia will have immediate access to a duty-free quota of 35,000 tonnes, rising in equal instalments to 110,000 tonnes in year 10.
In the subsequent five years a safeguard will apply on beef imports exceeding a further volume threshold rising in equal instalments to 170,000 tonnes, levying a tariff safeguard duty of 20 per cent for the rest of the calendar year.
Sheep meat tariffs will be eliminated after ten years. During the transition period, Australia will have immediate access to a duty-free quota of 25,000 tonnes, rising in equal instalments to 75,000 tonnes in year 10. In the subsequent five years a safeguard will apply on sheep meat imports exceeding a further volume threshold rising in equal instalments to 125,000 tonnes, levying a tariff safeguard duty of 20 per cent for the rest of the calendar year.
Sugar tariffs will be eliminated over eight years. During the transition period, Australia will have immediate access to a duty-free quota of 80,000 tonnes, rising by 20,000 tonnes each year.
Dairy tariffs will be eliminated over five years. During the transition period, Australia will have immediate access to a duty-free quota for cheese of 24,000 tonnes, rising in equal instalments to 48,000 tonnes in year five. Australia will also have immediate access to a duty-free quota for non-cheese dairy of 20,000 tonnes.
Working Holiday Visa makers in the UK will get expanded rights and will now be able to stay for three years with an increased cut off age of 35.
Professionals will benefit from provisions to support mutual recognition of qualifications and greater certainty for skilled professionals entering the UK labour market.
This ambitious bilateral free trade agreement will help pave the way for the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The two countries will now finalise the text, and carry out the domestic processes required to enable signature and the subsequent entry into force of the FTA.
Lawn clippings and old palm fronds are being transformed into compost by one of Australia’s largest farming organisations in an attempt to reduce its carbon footprint.
A new state-of-the-art compost facility in Bundaberg, south-east Queensland, is accepting garden waste to be converted to nutrient-rich compost designed to provide an alternative to chemical fertilisers and help farms decrease nutrient run-off.
Green Solutions Wide Bay was created by Australia’s largest producer of sweet potatoes, Greensill Farming, to expand the company’s composting program and involve locals disposing of their green waste in an environmentally beneficial way.
Nathan Freeman is head of planning, infrastructure and projects for Greensill Farming, which also grows sugar cane and peanuts around Bundaberg.
Protecting soil health while lessening environmental impacts is important to the farming organisation and worth the investment in the futuristic composting facility, according to Mr Freeman.
Nathan Freeman with the green waste grinder.(ABC Wide Bay: Brad Marsellos)
“We have to start looking at this, reducing the amount of fertilisers and synthetic products we do use,” he said.
“This is a really natural product we can punch back into the soil.
Creating compost from waste
Turning green waste into compost takes 120 days.
The dumped organic matter is fed into a large grinder that uses scanners and magnets to remove any material not suitable.
Piles of shredded material are left to break down and undergo a “pasteurisation period” where the temperature reaches between 55 and 65 degrees killing off weeds and seeds while also allowing beneficial microbes to grow.
A robotic-looking turning machine with extendable legs then patrols the piles turning the compost, and water is added to keep the mix cool throughout the process.
The last part of the process involves screening the compost before it is applied to the farms.
Although the compost facility has only been open to the public for 10 weeks, Mr Freeman says trials have shown the compost is making a big difference in the health of the soil, which will mean better crops and a longer farming life for the soils.
“We are already seeing the benefits from the products we are putting out on the farms now,” he said.
“It’s a good opportunity to basically turn what used to be landfill into a usable product that can help sustain our farms.
“We really want to increase our soil biodiversity. Some crops can be a little hard on the soil, so if we can help and put this back in it will really help prolong the life of our farming activity.”
Large sediment dams have also been created to prevent any run-off from the compost to the waterways in the area.
Security monitors dumping
Trailers full of garden offcuts and lawn clippings roll past over 30 security cameras installed around the complex as Bundaberg residents take advantage of the free waste disposal.
There is no human contact at the complex, the cameras record your licence plate details and if you leave material that is not plant-based, an alert will notify staff when you next visit.
Mr Freeman believes most people will do the right thing.
“We’ve spent a lot of time and money getting the technology right here,” he said.
“We don’t want people to be scared off by that technology.
“Everybody is welcome, anybody can come along and put their green waste here. The only time you aren’t welcome is if you put contaminants in there.”
Green Solutions Wide Bay officially opens Saturday, June 5, 2021 after a 10-week ‘soft trial’.
Bundaberg Sugar is warning motorists that cane trains will have an increasing presence across the region in the lead up to the 2021 cane harvesting season, scheduled to commence on 20 June.
Bundaberg Sugar’s Cane Supply Manager Matt Curtis said it was important for motorists and other members of the public to understand the cane harvesting season brings with it plenty of cane train movement across the company’s rail network.
“Our trains operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week from June to December,” he said.
“Each year our drivers experience near miss incidents where motorists try to race the trains at level crossings or where motorists are unaware of train activity.
“Motorists should not be fooled by the speed of a cane train and must realise that it can’t stop quickly.”
Mr Curtis said a dully loaded cane train could weigh in excess of 400 tonnes and takes more than a kilometre to stop.
“The seasonal nature of train operations makes it easy for motorists to become complacent, so we are urging all road users to be aware and alert to trains,” he said.
“Bundaberg Sugar’s cane rail network plays a significant role in transporting the harvested cane to the sugar mill.
Cane harvesting season is about to begin and motorists are being warned to keep an eye out for cane trains in the region.
“People need to obey the road rules and drive to the conditions.”
Bundaberg Sugar follows a risk assessment process for crossings using the Australian Level Crossing Assessment Model (ALCAM). This system is used to identify key potential risks at level crossings and is managed nationally to ensure a standard approach to design across Australia and New Zealand.
Crossings include active and passive types as determined by the ALCAM process and are designed, constructed and operated in line with the Australian Standard for railway crossings and the Queensland Manual Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
All of Bundaberg Sugar’s locomotives are fitted with cameras that record views looking forward and backward along the rail track as well a view of the inside of the cabin.
This provides valuable information if a near miss or an incident occurs,” explained Mr Curtis.
Bundaberg Police Senior Sergeant, Michael McGarry, said many motorists do not realise that failing to stop or give way at the signage situated at a level crossing is a traffic infringement.
“Whether level crossings have flashing lights or signage only, motorists must be vigilant and drive to the conditions, slowing down and obeying the signals.
Currently motorists could receive a $400 traffic infringement notice and three demerit points for the following offences:
Fail to stop at ‘STOP’ sign at level crossing
Fail to give way at ‘STOP’ sign at level crossing
Fail to give way at ‘GIVE WAY’ sign at level crossing
Enter level crossing while warning lights or bells operating
Enter level crossing while train on crossing
Enter level crossing while train approaching crossing and collision likely
Enter level crossing while crossing or road beyond is blocked
Fail to leave level crossing as soon as practicable
“Road users must also be mindful that during the cane harvesting season we see more heavy vehicles on our roads, such as trucks, harvesters and haul‐outs. Be patient and only overtake when safe to do so,” Senior Sergeant McGarry said.
Mr Curtis added that it was also important for parents to be aware of their children’s activities and whereabouts and remind their children to keep well away from the cane rail tracks.
“Many developments including businesses, housing and schools have been built nearby to cane railways,” he said.
“Staying clear of the tracks is the best way for everyone to be safe.”
Burdekin cane farmers are set to harvest an estimated 7.97 million tonnes this season, on par with the 2020 throughput of 7.91mt.
Today marks a busy day in the Burdekin region, with crushing commencing at all four of Wilmar Sugar’s mills.
The Invicta, Pioneer, Kalamia, and Inkerman mills ran steam trials over the past fortnight to commission boilers and other steam-driven plant, ensuring they were ready for the first cane to go up the belt this morning.
“We’ve done a huge amount of capital and maintenance work across the four sites since the end of last crush, and our crews should be very proud of what they’ve achieved,” Wilmar Burdekin regional operations manager Paul Turnbull said.
The Herbert and Plane Creek mills are set to start crushing on June 15, while Proserpine is scheduled to begin on June 29.
Production commenced at Mackay Sugar’s Farleigh mill last Thursday. A cane elevator drive failed shortly after start-up, however the issue was repaired overnight and the mill is operational again.
Racecourse Mill is set to commence on June 11, while Marian will start crushing on June 15.
The crush at Marian was delayed due to repairs on the mud/ash clarifier and to finalise upgrade works for the boiler operating system.
Mackay Sugar is preparing to crush an estimated 5.3mt of cane this season.
Farmers and motorists are being reminded to take care on the roads due to the influx of cane trains and haul-out vehicles.
Wilmar Burdekin cane supply manager John Tait said locos are now delivering empty bins to cane rail sidings across the region.
“It’s really important that people approach level crossings with caution and look out for cane trains,” Mr Tait said.
“We’ve had a few months without cane train activity and people naturally become complacent. With the crushing season commencing, we’re urging residents and visitors to switch their train brains back on.”
