Riordan, GrainCorp: Grain exports in NSW, SA hit by flood and storms

Recent floods have washed out rail lines in NSW, causing huge delays in exports. Hear from grain’s top brass about their efforts.

Floods in NSW have hit Australia’s massive task to export grain out of the country after the biggest national harvest on record.

Exporters are reporting big delays in getting grain bulk carriers loaded at Newcastle and Port Kembla.

CHS Broadbent managing director Steve Broadbent said the floods had washed out rail lines and bogged down outloading on to trucks in some country areas, delaying shiploading at ports.

Jim Riordan has seen Riordan Grain Services’ shiploading operations at Geelong and Portland boom in the first six months of this season. Picture: Supplied

“We’ve been loading vessels out of Newcastle and its very challenging,” Mr Broadbent said.

“With the floods and rail lines getting washed out, it’s an ugly story.

“Port Kembla is probably worse.

“There are a large number of ships in Port Kembla and Newcastle waiting to be loaded.”

But GrainCorp, which ran export terminals at both ports, said there were only minor delays due to wet weather.

A GrainCorp spokeswoman said GrainCorp’s east coast network was operating at capacity to load ships.

“We have experienced minor delays across NSW and Queensland due to wet weather, but we’re on track to export 8.5 to 9.5 million tonnes for FY22 — compared with 7.9 million tonnes in FY21 — as previously forecast,” she said.

“From January to March, when the heaviest rains fell in northern NSW and Queensland, our export activity actually increased slightly year-on-year for that period.”

In Victoria, Riordan Grain principal Jim Riordan said loading of ships at Geelong and Portland was well ahead of previous years.

Jim Riordan is happy with Riordan Grain’s export efforts. Picture: Supplied

Mr Riordan said the company had exported one million tonnes from the beginning of operations in 2017 to the end of 2021.

“So far this year, we have loaded half of that tonnage,” he said.

Viterra supply chain and logistics general manager Derek Robjohns said the South Australian bulk handler had experienced some interruptions in trucks accessing country storages on the Eyre Peninsula, which had ramifications shiploading at port.

But Mr Robjohns said this had been ameliorated by extending operating hours.

Elsewhere across SA, outloading was on track, with 5.4 million tonnes of forward shipping bookings.

“More than half of growers’ harvest deliveries into Viterra’s network have been loaded onto vessels since the start of October last year, connecting growers with international markets,” he said.

In Western Australia, CBH Group has offered 17.74 million tonnes of shiploading capacity to the market, well above the previous record of 15 million tonnes.

CBH Group chief operations officer Mick Daw said 7.89 million tonnes had been shipped up to the end of March.

But the task should improve in the second half with two more rail fleets operating from April and more road transport being sought.