The first shipment from Queensland Sugar Limited’s (QSL) Bundaberg Sugar Terminal, since flooding earlier this year, is being loaded with 11,600 tonnes of raw sugar and will set course for an arrival today at Mackay Sugar Terminal.
The channel where ships enter the port of Bundaberg was built-up earlier this year with silt from the floods and this prevented ships from entering. Extensive dredging work has now been undertaken to allow small ships to access the port.
QSL General Manager Operations Damian Ziebarth thanked Gladstone Ports Corporation (GPC) and Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) for the work undertaken on the channel to-date and replacement of navigation markers.
“ GPC and MSQ have pulled out all stops to get the port back into operation, ” Mr Ziebarth said.
“ We expect to move the 2012 season raw sugar that is sitting in our sheds at Bundaberg with at least 11 shipments scheduled for Mackay where the sugar will be loaded onto larger ships for export to customers.
“It’s important that we start moving this sugar to make room for the 2013 harvest which starts next week in Bundaberg.”
Mr Ziebarth said further dredging would be required before larger ships could access the port to take the sugar direct to customers and acknowledged this next phase was being worked through by GPC and MSQ.
QSL operates the Bulk Sugar Terminal and wharf equipment on behalf of Sugar Terminals Limited while GPC is responsible for the berth pocket, swing basin and channel, and MSQ manage the navigation aids in the harbour.
“ Dredging that’s been done so far is most welcome, but to allow us to move larger ships we need to have further dredging done, ” he said.
[mappress]
Press Release, June 20, 2013