Sugarcane at the heart of many regional communities

There has been much talk in the news recently about the struggles of Mossman mill and what the mill’s closure might mean for the local community.

Thankfully, the mill has been given a lifeline, with a mystery investor stepping in at the eleventh hour with a plan to save the factory and, in turn, the sugarcane industry in the area.

There are still some hurdles to clear before that deal can be signed and the mill’s long-term future secured.

But even though the outcome is not assured, the announcement of government funding, combined with the appearance of a mystery investor, has brought a great sense of relief to the local community.

The sugarcane industry in Mossman accounts for over 500 local jobs, both directly and indirectly. That is over one-third of all jobs in the region.

If the industry falters, the local town will be devastated and, within a year, Mossman will be a shell of its former self as businesses close and families move away to find work.

Mossman’s story is an example of just how interwoven the sugarcane industry is into our regional communities.

Since the tourism and resources booms, we sometimes forget that sugarcane was once the single biggest, most important industry in Queensland.

Towns and cities along the coast built up around the industry and, for generations, relied on sugarcane for their survival.

If our recent brush with Covid has taught us anything, it’s that tourism is at the mercy of international influences. An outbreak of disease on the other side of the world could bring Queensland’s tourism industry to its knees in months, if not weeks.

Similarly, our mining resources are finite. Mines will eventually run dry or outside factors such as climate change will force us to stop mining certain materials.

Sugarcane, on the other hand, is resilient and sustainable. It is not impacted by global pandemics and will not run out.

In fact, far from contributing to climate change, sugarcane can be part of the solution through its use to produce sustainable biofuels and other products.

We are an old industry. We’ve been supporting Queenslanders for a long time. But we’re also an industry on the cusp of a rebirth, and we will be here to support regional communities through good times and bad for many years to come.