Tableland Mill

Tableland Mill
Tableland Sugar Mill, 2016. Kerry Raymond.
Location
Coordinates	16.45786° S, 145.37836° E
State	Queensland
Region	Northern Region
LGA	Mareeba Shire Council
Details
Established	1998
Owner	Bundaberg Sugar
Gauge	Nil. Road transport only.
Annual Crush	775,000 tonnes

The Tableland Mill is the youngest sugar mill in Australia. Constructed by Bundaberg Sugar in 1998, it was the first new sugar factory built in Queensland since the expansion of the industry in the mid 1920s. Its establishment marked a significant shift in the geography of cane growing in Far North Queensland, proving that sugar cane could be successfully cultivated and processed on the Atherton Tableland, an area previously dominated by tobacco, dairy and other horticultural crops.

The mill was located at Arriga, south west of Mareeba, to service the growing number of cane farms in the region. Unlike the coastal mills which relied heavily on extensive 610 mm gauge railway networks, the Tableland Mill was designed from the outset to utilise road transport exclusively. This decision was driven by the dispersed nature of the cane farms on the Tableland and the flexibility offered by modern heavy haulage vehicles.

From a technical perspective, the mill was unique upon its commissioning. It featured a crushing tandem consisting solely of two roll Bundaberg High Extraction Mills (BHEMs), rather than the conventional three or four roll mills found elsewhere in the state. This design was intended to maximise extraction efficiency while reducing maintenance and energy consumption.

In 2005, the mill expanded its cane supply base significantly when growers in the Julatten area (traditionally suppliers to the Mossman Mill) elected to send their cane to the Tableland Mill. This shift was driven by economic factors and transport logistics, placing pressure on the coastal Mossman Mill but bolstering the throughput at Arriga.

Ownership of the mill changed in 2012 when Bundaberg Sugar sold its Tableland assets, including the mill and associated farms, to MSF Sugar (a subsidiary of the Thai based Mitr Phol Group). This acquisition consolidated MSF Sugar's position in the region, as they also operated the Mulgrave and South Johnstone mills.

Green Energy Power Plant

In recent years, the mill has evolved beyond simple sugar production. In 2018, MSF Sugar completed the construction of a Green Energy Power Plant (GEPP) at the site. This 24 megawatt biomass facility cost approximately $75 million to $100 million and was designed to burn bagasse (sugar cane fibre) to generate electricity.

Unlike traditional mill power stations that only operate during the crushing season, the Tableland GEPP allows the mill to generate renewable baseload power for the national grid year round. This project made the Tableland Mill one of the most energy efficient sugar processing sites in Australia.

Transport and Logistics

The mill does not operate a railway. Cane is delivered 100 per cent by road transport. The logistics operation relies on a fleet of B Double trucks that haul bins from pads located on farms directly to the mill weighbridge. The tipping station at the mill is designed to handle these road vehicles rapidly to ensure a continuous supply of cane to the carrier.

Production Statistics

The Tableland Mill processes cane harvested from the Atherton Tableland and Julatten regions. The crushing season generally runs from June to November.

• Average Annual Crush: Approximately 700,000 to 850,000 tonnes.
• 2024 Season Crush: 742,377 tonnes (CCS 13.86).
• Sugar Production: Produces raw sugar which is transported by road to the bulk sugar terminal at Cairns for export.