• Progress at freight hub
Wimmera development leaders expect the redevelopment of a major agricultural export business at Wimmera Intermodal Freight Hub at Dooen to provide a trigger for ‘things to come’.
Wimmera Development Association executive director Ralph Kenyon said word of hay exporter Johnson Asahi’s identification of the freight-transport benefits in being based at the Dooen precinct would spread quickly.
“If there is one thing we have long recognised about the Wimmera and southern Mallee is that it is among the best regions in the world at broadacre agricultural production,” he said.
“Being able to efficiently shift large amounts of produce using available transport systems and networks, not only directly from the paddock but also from processing plants as we unearth new and exciting ways to use what we grow, will be essential.
“And it’s not just limited to agriculture.
“We have a sand-mining industry – in a holding pattern for the moment – that could quickly require modern intermodal transport services.
“That’s what the Wimmera Intermodal Freight Hub is designed for and it is perfectly placed to take advantage of this type of development.”
Mr Kenyon said what was critically important was the potential for the Dooen site to expand to meet demand.
“It provides direct access for producer to the port through rapid transport links, while, at the same time, minimising the number of trucks needed on the road, which is a win for everyone,” he said.
“What we’ve seen with Johnson Asahi should be a sign of things to come.”
Johnson Asahi has announced an $8-million redevelopment and expansion project that involves shifting from its Plumpton Road site that it has called home for the past 23 years to the Dooen precinct.
The business processes and exports more than $25-million worth of Wimmera hay and straw a year.
The shift to Dooen will allow the company to expand production and storage capacity.
• For more on the move, see page 11.