HUNDREDS of hectares of Aboriginal Land Council-owned country in the north eastern part of NSW are now earmarked for primary production, following a historic joint venture deal with the company behind plans to build a rail and grain terminal at Casino.
Work started last week on a $12.7 million private rail terminal and a 35,000 tonne, $16m grain handling facility just north of Casino.
The deal between Casino Rail Freight Terminal (CRFT) and the Casino Boolangle Local Aboriginal Land Council will see the day-to-day running of the terminal and its local distribution network, and an on-site intensive cattle farming operation that will utilise incoming grain, hand- led by a workforce sourced by the land council.
The land council, meanwhile, will use large amounts of the country it owns in the region to establish feedlots across several livestock sectors that will source grain from the facility.
It also hopes to establish some cropping operations.
CRFT general manager Phillip Imrie said the joint venture was about leveraging combined assets.
He said it made sense to have local people running the facility and the arrangement allowed for strong synergies between the two organisations.
"The Casino area is the traditional meeting place of the Bundjalung people," he said.
"The terminal forms a 'meeting place' for rail and road transport and distribution of bulk commodities including grain to the local primary producers.
"The venture will continue the history of Casino as a trading and meeting location."
Casino Boolangle Local Aboriginal Land Council chief executive officer Paula Coghill said the joint venture was about fostering economic development, and therefore jobs, in the region.
Much of the country owned by the land council was good farming land but had sat idle for some time, she said.
"Primary production, particularly beef, is a growth industry.
"This project has created a pathway for Aboriginal people here that hasn't previously existed."
The CRFT is expected to welcome the first train in mid to late 2016.
The facility will also include a steam flaking mill, a grain processing practice that improves the feed utilisisation and growth performance of feedlot cattle.
Mr Imrie said the CRFT had the potential to change the face of the livestock industry in the region by providing producers with consistent access to grain at a viable price.
"It's also a pathway to significant productivity and profitability gains for smaller farms, of which there are many in this region, because it gives them the ability to run intensive operations without having to own grain growing land," he said.
Rail provided for freight to be hauled at a cost of five cents per net tonne kilometre, compared to road transport's 15c, he said.
The facility would also include a high capacity dryer and would be looking at loading oilseeds out, given the North Coast is the state's largest soybean producing region.
Shan Goodwin
Journalist for The Land on the North Coast.
Journalist for The Land on the North Coast.
