I wasn't going to start a new thread when this is the same company.

Hay processor Gilmac starts production in St Arnaud.

Hay processor Gilmac has begun production and distribution at its new St Arnaud facility this week, bringing eight new full time jobs to the town.

https://www.mailtimes.com.au/story/6914060/hay-processor-gilmac-starts-production-in-st-arnaud/?cs=12

I spotted this the other day but can't locate any articles that don't have bloody pay walls, anyway you get to see an aerial view of the new plant.


It wouldn't seem like they intend on using rail to transport goods, otherwise you would reckon the could have found a site closer to the railway line. Looks like 40k's to Donald if they were going to use that site to load containers.

Another option in the future, when bevans and DangerousDan007 get the inter modal terminal set up at West Ballarat, a 1:45 run, probably 4hr return trip, 2 round trips a day, run a couple of A-Double Semi's. ( possible bashing for suggesting, that )

Wonder what & where their customers are, these hay joints are becoming quite fashionable, aren't they.

BigShunter.

I did split this out in the end as the project is different and it could get lost in the other project discussions if you read the thread carefully.

I wasn't going to start a new thread when this is the same company.

Hay processor Gilmac starts production in St Arnaud.

Hay processor Gilmac has begun production and distribution at its new St Arnaud facility this week, bringing eight new full time jobs to the town.

Wonder what & where their customers are, these hay joints are becoming quite fashionable, aren't they.

BigShunter.

The same mob who are at Goornong and they are not rail connected there either (although quite close to the Echuca line but on the wrong side of the highway). They have other locations in SA and WA

Customers are mainly Asia - Japan, South Korea etc but also could be other parts of Aus if Vic has a good season and others don't like last year.

Another nice find Shunter

China is the main buyer of hay , well at the moment anyway . Things not looking to good to keep exporting and get paid from those very sly chinamen .
I have heard they are very creative at certain ports in China to come up with reasons not to pay full price, knowing that it would cost more to ship it back to Australia than take what dollars is on offer , and yes , it's all political.

China is the main buyer of hay , well at the moment anyway . Things not looking to good to keep exporting and get paid from those very sly chinamen .
I have heard they are very creative at certain ports in China to come up with reasons not to pay full price, knowing that it would cost more to ship it back to Australia than take what dollars is on offer , and yes , it's all political.

a chink in the link......................

It's worth noting that Greater Bendigo City Council have given up building a Business Park next to a railway line. Plans are now in place to have it at the corner of Wimmera Hwy and Calder Alternate Hwy (about 1km South of Inglewood line).

I doubt they'll ever invest in a spur line. Unless private industry stumped up the cash.

It's worth noting that Greater Bendigo City Council have given up building a Business Park next to a railway line. Plans are now in place to have it at the corner of Wimmera Hwy and Calder Alternate Hwy (about 1km South of Inglewood line).

I doubt they'll ever invest in a spur line. Unless private industry stumped up the cash.

Why have they given up?

It's worth noting that Greater Bendigo City Council have given up building a Business Park next to a railway line. Plans are now in place to have it at the corner of Wimmera Hwy and Calder Alternate Hwy (about 1km South of Inglewood line).

I doubt they'll ever invest in a spur line. Unless private industry stumped up the cash.

Why have they given up?

Too much local opposition to the Yorkshire Rd site - it ended up being vetoed by the Planning Minister a couple of years ago.

To be fair, the plans for a rail connection weren't really there (they even made amendments to remove it), and there were also some drainage questions since it was on a floodplain.

Too much local opposition to the Yorkshire Rd site - it ended up being vetoed by the Planning Minister a couple of years ago.

To be fair, the plans for a rail connection weren't really there (they even made amendments to remove it), and there were also some drainage questions since it was on a floodplain.

Who made amendments to remove it?

Do you have a google maps reference for the site mentioned?

Too much local opposition to the Yorkshire Rd site - it ended up being vetoed by the Planning Minister a couple of years ago.

To be fair, the plans for a rail connection weren't really there (they even made amendments to remove it), and there were also some drainage questions since it was on a floodplain.

Who made amendments to remove it?

Do you have a google maps reference for the site mentioned?

Dont know how recent Carnot's information is, but this doc from May this year seems to suggest an industrial site on Yorkshire Rd remains in the councils plans

https://www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/About/Document-Library/Industrial-Land-Development-Strategy

Page 15 of this doc has the map. there's probably detail in the doc that would elaborate on some of the locations.

The Marong site shown on page 15 is not the Yorkshire Rd site, but an existing vacant industrial reserve that is now going to be Medium density housing.

It's worth mentioning that site P15 (Eaglehawk) next to the double track (Swan Hill and Inglewood lines) has been rumoured to be a possible Intermodal.

Quite a few operators are keen to have more hay transferred to rail in the region. Watch this space I reckon...

The cheapest way for rail to operate and the better way for the environment is to have the produced loaded at the customer site avoiding the need to truck to the rail terminal.  Is this being considered in the planning do you feel?

The cheapest way for rail to operate and the better way for the environment is to have the produced loaded at the customer site avoiding the need to truck to the rail terminal.  Is this being considered in the planning do you feel?

That's how rail terminals work theses days, your not going to see little pilot trains traveling along light spur lines running down the sides of Industrial Streets to access some businesses laydown storage yard.

If a business has some future Intention of using rail transport, they will strategically establish their business next to an active railway (rail sidings built to today's required standards are extremely expensive)

Well I guess in that case we will see little growth in rail volumes sadly. Although the approach from Qube and SCT proves that theory wrong.  I do agree rail is not considered by these companies as many companies over the years I believe have been burnt by vline and the state based freight companies.  Many come to mind.  It is just too hard?

Well I guess in that case we will see little growth in rail volumes sadly. Although the approach from Qube and SCT proves that theory wrong.  I do agree rail is not considered by these companies as many companies over the years I believe have been burnt by vline and the state based freight companies.  Many come to mind.  It is just too hard?

Yes Inefficient clumsy (that's how we always did things) practices by Government / Union run railway departments did burn a lot of previous rail customers, who escaped the claws of rail when they first were given the chance (after common carrier laws were abolished) to use their own trucks or contract a vast selection of road transport contractors (that will bend over backwards for customer service)

The stigma of the poor customer service provided by the Government railway department, still lingers on, even though private companies have taken over railway freight (Government departments are still actively throwing spanners In the works to prevent a efficient competitive rail freight system)

Qube and SCT are large Integrated logistic companies, rail freight operations Is only a small part of their business.

I see the benefit of rail connections to customers and saw the uncle bens experience. Train was shunted on the site and easily run to port. ARTV pulled the siding out and much was lost to road.

Hay ultima is working well. Gilmac will not have the same success if they chose rail as the last mile is a two last mile stage.

1 from the actual farm area and a second movement to intermodal terminal.

Already two trucks.

Then off the rail and truck required in Melbourne ports.

Hay experience is from farm via truck to facility and into rail to the port for export. A much better solution.

How can you argue against that Shen costs are saved ?

And this just arrived onto the site https://www.railpage.com.au/news/s/cedar-rapids-logistics-park-on-horizon shows what can be achieved with some planning.

Nightfire, I respectfully disagree with your comments about Gilmore's potential to fail if they are they going to use trucks for the last mile transport.

There is a very successful hay export company that has been around for years that used to use rail transport to port (at a higher cost than road) the government stuffed around with the rail container subsidies and it ended up the thirty odd containers go by road now at a significant savings.

The new transport company is Qube , and they can do it cheaper by road than rail

Nightfire, I respectfully disagree with your comments about Gilmore's potential to fail if they are they going to use trucks for the last mile transport.

There is a very successful hay export company that has been around for years that used to use rail transport to port (at a higher cost than road) the government stuffed around with the rail container subsidies and it ended up the thirty odd containers go by road now at a significant savings.

The new transport company is Qube , and they can do it cheaper by road than rail

? What are you disagreeing with ? (clumsy Government departments)

I disagree with your statement that gilmac wont have the same success as ultima if they use the last mile transport as road .

Other bigger operators succeed using road only

I disagree with your statement that gilmac wont have the same success as ultima if they use the last mile transport as road .

Other bigger operators succeed using road only

Where did I say anything about the success of Gilmac ?

My apologies nightfire , it was frieghtgate who made the statement. Sorry for using the wrong name .

Nightfire, I respectfully disagree with your comments about Gilmore's potential to fail if they are they going to use trucks for the last mile transport.

There is a very successful hay export company that has been around for years that used to use rail transport to port (at a higher cost than road) the government stuffed around with the rail container subsidies and it ended up the thirty odd containers go by road now at a significant savings.

The new transport company is Qube , and they can do it cheaper by road than rail

This is just the type of traffic that could be picked up by the proposed Ballarat West intermodal terminal, which Qube are rumoured to be involved with.

Nothing is likely to occur at the Ballarat end until the Port of Melbourne completes its expanded rail facilities by 2023. Still no word on the Ballarat freight/passenger rail separation project. Federal $$ will be required for that.

I disagree with your statement that gilmac wont have the same success as ultima if they use the last mile transport as road .

Other bigger operators succeed using road only

To add to this, just an observation, it would seem some companies are resistant or even have a vendetta against using rail as a form of transportation their goods.

A few years ago a grain company in Rupanyup were trucking containers of chick peas to the PoM because they had no interest what so ever in using either Dooen or Donald for their goods.

The hay company in Horsham had some sort of disagreement with Dooen also and a trucking company picked up there loading to Melbourne as they were already running there with containers of meat from Bordertown. They could offer a Very competitive rate as they could now run a B-Double, 1 container of meat and 1 of hay, where as before they couldn't run with 2 of the same containers otherwise they were over weight. So it was an advantageous move for them, shifting 2 containers with 1 trip.

It's this sort of flexibility with different truck combinations that makes them very efficient at moving a variety of goods.

Intermodal & rail freight must keep their pencil sharp because there's always a truck company there to whip the work off you !

And spot on brownhillboy, the company you mentioned would use the West Ballarat big time, it might also make Dooen sharpen their pencil with a bit of competition.

BigShunter.

Ideally Donald would be a good place to load but again with MBRP the gift that keeps on giving 2 road was removed when it should not of been and Donald is and has been as of late full to capacity. The project managers involved should hang their heads in shame  as the project is driving away any potential rail work.