Rail and freight operator Aurizon is set to close 10 truck depots in Queensland’s North Burnett region
By Ruza Zivkusic-Aftasi | August 19, 2013
Rail and freight operator Aurizon is set to close 10 truck depots in Queensland’s North Burnett region.
The company cites market pressures and changes to Aurizon’s transport services contract with the State Government
as the main reasons behind the closures, an Aurizon spokesperson says.
“Last week, Aurizon commenced consulting with employees as part of a review of its intermodal freight operations in Queensland,” the spokesperson says.
“The proposed changes are designed to ensure we continue to operate competitively in a commercial market, matching our capacity and cost base with customer demand.”
Thirty-five truck drivers will lose their jobs and will be offered voluntary redundancies
or can seek redeployment.
North Burnett Regional Council Major Don Waugh says the closure will affect the region and its businesses.
“I always feel disheartened when I see an operation or business close down, that is not what we want to see for our part of the country,” Waugh says.
“Freight operators are the only means we have in getting goods and services to our area as the railway line has been closed down for four years; we rely on the road network and we rely on current freight operators to bring in the goods.
“I don’t want to see a loss to the services in the area and I don’t want to see businesses in our region be left without the services.”
Regional freight operators Kingaroy Freight Express and Burnett Express say they’re both happy to pick up the work but say they have been told little about Aurizon’s freight volumes.
“They are very vague about what volumes are moved on the road,” Burnett Express Operations Manager Beatrice Lutz says.
“Yes, we’d be willing to take the freight over but before we make any decision we need to make a judgement whether it’s viable enough to go in and do.”
Kingaroy Freight Express Director Joan Price says the company is prepared to employ another driver to pick up the work.
“We have been going there for 22 years, it’s not like we will pull out in a hurry,” Price says.
“We can always employ another driver, that’s no hassle at all.”
The depots are located in Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Gympie, Murgon, Mundubbera, Gayndah, Monto, Biggenden, Biloela and Tully.
Aurizon plans to consolidate freight into larger hubs.