Bundaberg Sugar Cane Rail Bridge

Bundaberg Sugar Ltd (BSL) has made a request to Council to designate premises for development of infrastructure comprising a cane rail bridge, approach trestles and cane rail line.

On the west side of the Burnett River, the new rail line will extend from existing BSL cane rail infrastructure at Lot 5 RP41027 on River Road at Fairymead through BSL land (with level crossings at Fairymead Access Road and Gahans Road) before transitioning on BSL land to trestles as it approaches the Burnett River.

The bridge itself crosses the river from a point just north of River Road to Strathdees Road at Rubyanna on the eastern bank.

On the east side of the river, the bridge will connect to trestles situated in the northern verge of Strathdees Road road reserve before the rail line loops at grade across Strathdees Road to connect with existing BSL cane rail infrastructure in the vicinity of Barrons Road road reserve.

Following closure of Bingera Mill after the 2020 crush, the proposed infrastructure will transport cane by rail from north of the Burnett River to Millaquin Mill in Bundaberg East for crushing.

Construction of the cane rail bridge will avoid having to transport the cane by road, a process that would otherwise involve some 48,000 additional heavy vehicle movements during the crushing season.

The bridge incorporates a 25 metre wide retractable opening span which will remain in the open position outside of the cane crushing season.

During the cane crushing season, the opening span is operated by telemetry from the Millaquin Mill Traffic Control Office. This Office is manned on a 24/7 basis during the crush.

A vessel whose height above waterline necessitates the opening of the bridge (ie above 3.5m at HAT or above 7.1m at LAT) can either pre-book an opening or telephone the Traffic Control Office to request the bridge be opened.

InsiteSJC, Town Planners and Surveyors, have prepared an Environmental Assessment Report (EAR) that accompanied the BSL request for the infrastructure designation. The EAR, together with other documentation pertinent to the project, can be accessed under ‘Documents’ on the right hand side of this page.

Update

The proposed infrastructure designation was available for public comment between Wednesday 19 January 2022 and Friday 18 February 2022. Any person was able to make a submission to Council about the proposed designation. Submissions are now closed.

Please contact Evan Fritz of Bundaberg Regional Council on telephone number 1300 883 699 if you have any questions about the proposal.

(Photo: artist's impression of the proposed new bridge)