Growers voice concern with rail access removal at Edgeroi silos

Forty growers attended a meeting in Narrabri last Thursday to discuss the removal of rail access at GrainCorp’s Edgeroi site.

Growers expressed concerns about the negative impacts of the decision on harvest logistics, local grain prices, the number of trucks on the road, and the ripple effect on the local community and businesses.

A committee was formed to push for more consultation with GrainCorp and advocate for the interests of the region’s agricultural sector.

As reported in The Courier recently, local grain growers crossing the newly built Inland Rail line at Edgeroi said they were surprised to find that there was no longer a spur line at the Edgeroi site, ahead of what’s hoped to be another big harvest.

GrainCorp’s Edgeroi site is a major receival site, with as much as 100,000mt delivered in big seasons.

Providing a key part of the local grain storage network, the Edgeroi facility has in the past provided growers and end users with more efficient, cost-effective rail access to large quantities of our region’s grain.

“The Edgeroi site now becoming a road only site drastically impact the price offered for grain delivered to Edgeroi to local growers and have negative flow-on effects to the local economy, it’s impact will directly go against the key goals of the Inland Rail projects,” a spokesperson said.

“It’s a poor short-term decision by Graincorp, which will result in a greater number of trucks travelling further along the Newell to either Bellata, an already congested site, or Narrabri West, with increased numbers of trucks travelling through a school zone at Narrabri West Public.”

Growers who attended a Graincorp pre-harvest meeting were told the process of the siding being removed had begun three years ago during consultation between ARTC and GrainCorp as part of the Inland Rail planning process.

Disappointed by a ‘complete lack’ of consultation, local growers have been proactive about trying to engage with GrainCorp.

And following last Thursday’s meeting, the grower committee joined a Zoom meeting this week with GrainCorp representatives to discuss alternatives.

The Courier contacted GrainCorp for comment and further explanation regarding its decision to remove the rail siding.

“We’ve experienced a couple of unprecedented years of production on the east coast, and GrainCorp’s network continues to develop to meet demand,” said general manager of operations Nigel Lotz.

“We take a whole-of-network approach to our investments that can be sustained through the cycle of years with average production, which means some compromises must be made.

“As part of our up-country investments in northern NSW, we have been working with ARTC and the NSW Department of Transport to prioritise efficient rail services to get more grain to port in heavy export years.

“As part of the decision to remove the rail siding, we assessed the strong domestic demand around the Edgeroi region and the capability of the site at Bellata close by to identify effective solutions for moving grain to customers.

“We have prioritised investment in above and below rail infrastructure at Bellata to help accommodate the harvest task in the region, and we’ll continue to develop our strategic rail sites as well as focus on the customer experience, including turnaround times.

“The Edgeroi site is important to local growers and GrainCorp alike, so we will continue our discussions with the community to ensure they receive the best experience possible at our sites this harvest.”