AFTER several GrainCorp sites recently reported their 2020/2021 seasonal intake as their best on record; there has been call for the Department of Transport to reinstate the Dookie rail service.
The GrainCorp business’ registered intake from producers in the Dookie area was a total 135,000 tonnes year to date, a figure that well exceeds the area’s previous best of, 113,000 tonnes reported in 2010/11.
The current limitations of using road-only transport requires producers to co-ordinate all grain and oilseed in and out of Dookie by truck. It’s a process that could be more efficient if supported by rail, says Member for Northern Victoria, Tania Maxwell.
“These increased quantities of grain could be better managed if assistance by rail,” she said.
“Similar quantities have been moving faster and more efficiently by rail across other areas of the State.
The approximate 26km of rail that runs from Shepparton to Dookie is now clearly in demand by the region’s agricultural sector, a stark contrast to cause of the service’s suspension back in 2007; which was attributed to reduced yields (caused by severe drought), along with significant track deterioration.
Local grower Steve Ludeman, “I’d say 95 percent of growers would be keen to get it (the Dookie to Shepparton railway line) fixed, for sure, just to keep the trucks off the road,” Mr Ludeman said.
“It’s not necessarily just the railway, people can’t afford to be sitting around in queues, for two or three hours, at harvest time,” he added.
Ms Maxwell added, “There are significant potential benefits that the restoration of the line could deliver to many people and organisations, not only in the agricultural sector and around Shepparton and Dookie, but also across Victoria more widely.”
The additional benefits of less trucks on the road are multi-faceted and include, reducing traffic congestion issues and significantly reducing carbon emissions, Ms Maxwell continued to explain.
GrainCorp general manager of operations, Nigel Lotz, said that business was keen to support rail service access in Victoria.
“We are always supportive of rail efficiency, and any government investment to improve the grain supply chain on rail. We’d particularly like to see rail transport prioritised where it is the cheapest freight option to port for growers,” he said.
“We’re certainly seeing a shift in production in that part of the state, and Dookie producers will continue to play an important role in our network,” he said.
Ms Maxwell has made a formal request that the Victorian Government provide clarity on its position regarding the Dookie rail line’s restoration. A response was reportedly still outstanding at the time of print.
