Rocky Point Mill

Rocky Point Mill

The Rocky Point Mill is a sugar cane crushing mill located in Woongoolba, Queensland. It is situated approximately 50 kilometres south of Brisbane and serves the cane growing districts of the northern Gold Coast and southern Redlands area. Established in 1878, it is notable for being the only sugar mill in Australia that remains privately owned and operated by the founding family, the Heck Group.

The mill operates a 610 mm (2 ft) gauge cane railway network to transport harvested cane from the paddocks to the mill for processing. It also includes a significant co-generation power plant that supplies renewable energy to the national grid.

History

The mill was established in 1878 by Carl Heinrich Heck and has remained under the ownership of W.H. Heck & Sons Pty Ltd for five generations. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Woongoolba and Beenleigh districts supported numerous small sugar mills. By 1943, Rocky Point was the only surviving mill in the region, continuing to operate while others closed due to economic pressures and industry consolidation.

Throughout its history, the mill has adapted to changing agricultural and industrial conditions. It diversified its operations to include a distillery and later a biomass power plant. The mill has also faced challenges related to urban encroachment from the expanding Gold Coast and Brisbane metropolitan areas, which has reduced the available land for cane farming.

Infrastructure

The Rocky Point Mill processes approximately 350,000 to 450,000 tonnes of sugar cane annually, depending on seasonal conditions. The facility produces raw sugar and molasses.

Co-generation Plant

In roughly 2001, the Heck Group entered a joint venture with Stanwell Corporation to construct a 30 megawatt (MW) biomass co-generation plant at the mill site. The plant burns bagasse (the fibrous residue of crushed cane) and other wood waste to generate electricity. This project was one of the first of its kind in the Australian sugar industry to export significant power to the grid year round, rather than just during the crushing season.

Cane Railway

The mill operates a cane railway system built to the standard Queensland sugar gauge of 610 mm (2 ft). The network extends through the Woongoolba, Jacobs Well, and Norwell areas.

The railway is used exclusively for hauling whole stick and chopped cane from farm sidings to the mill weighbridge. Unlike many northern Queensland mills that have extremely long networks, the Rocky Point system is more compact, reflecting the concentrated nature of the local cane growing area.

Rolling Stock

The locomotive fleet consists primarily of small diesel hydraulic locomotives. Historically, the mill operated steam locomotives, some of which have been preserved.

• **Fowler 0-4-0WT (Works No. 16249):** Built in 1925, this locomotive worked at Rocky Point until 1951. It was later displayed at Gilltrap's Auto Museum and Dreamworld before being donated to the Beenleigh Historical Village and Museum, where it is preserved.
• **Hudswell Clarke 0-4-2T (Works No. 1078):** Known as "Maroochy", this locomotive was originally from Moreton Mill but spent time at Rocky Point in the 1970s before passing into private ownership.

Recent Operations

The mill continues to operate despite difficult market conditions. The 2025 crushing season was notably prolonged due to mechanical breakdowns and weather delays. The crush extended into January 2026, making Rocky Point the final mill in Queensland to finish the 2025 harvest.

In August 2024, the mill owners announced the acquisition of Bassett Barks, a landscape supply business, further diversifying the company's portfolio beyond raw sugar production.