EXCLUSIVE - HARVEST GO AHEAD: Mossman gets green light to send its sugar cane down the highway to Mulgrave

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David Gardiner

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MSF’S Mulgrave Mill at Gordonvale will crush at least some of the Mossman sugar crop. Pic: MSF Sugar

After weeks of negotiations and meetings, it’s now certain that at least some of the Mossman sugar cane crop will be harvested and crushed.

But the crushing will not go ahead at the Mossman Mill, which remains closed after being placed into liquidation by the administrator in March.

The ad seeking drivers to haul the cane from Mossman to Mulgrave Mill. Pic: Supplied

Instead, a group of canegrowers have combined resources and contracted a transport company to send their harvested crop to MSF’s Mulgrave mill at Gordonvale, after MSF agreed to help them with the crushing.

A harvest and transport company, Bray Group has placed an advertisement on social media in Douglas (pictured) for truck drivers to haul the cane.

Newsport understands about 40 drivers are needed, and Bray aims to have the staff ready by the start of July to transport the harvested crop to the Gordonvale Mill.

Negotiations over the logistics of the haulage have been intense for some weeks, and are still being fine-tuned with the state government, over how the sudden major increase in truck movements will be handled on the Captain Cook Highway.

A main potential hurdle has been that a section of the Highway between the Rex Lookout and Turtle Cove, Wangetti, has been closed to traffic overnight since May 15 – with just two brief opening times at 11pm and 1.30am to let traffic through – as contractors work continuously to complete repairs and rebuilding since severe water damage from Cyclone Jasper.

TMR to support cane haulage extra truck movements

But TMR have made it clear to Newsport that they will allow the extraordinary road haulage proposal to go ahead unhindered. 

“We understand the sugarcane would be transported by 19-metre semi-trailers which are permitted to travel on the Captain Cook Highway and through to Gordonvale,” a TMR spokesperson confirmed to Newsport a short time ago. 

It’s understood that at the peak of harvesting, the cane haulage could mean an average of one truck movement every eight minutes along the route from the Mossman area, through Cairns and down to Gordonvale. 

“Safety of road users is our first priority, and we will work with industry to manage the additional truck movements on Captain Cook Highway, Cairns Western Arterial Road and the Bruce Highway,” the spokesperson added. 

“Works to carry out emergency repairs on Captain Cook Highway between Rex Lookout and Turtle Cove will continue for some months. 

“TMR will endeavour to minimise impacts to the travelling public, road users should expect delays and plan their journey.”