CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 2025/26
The following report covers the financial year from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 including the 2025 sugar cane season.
The 2025 sugar cane season saw significant weather variability, transitioning between heavy rainfall events and periods of fine, dry weather. Heavy downpours created some delays during crushing with a total of 319 hours lost to wet weather.
The crop estimate for the 2025 season was 1,350,000 tonnes and Millaquin Mill commenced the pre-crush of non-relative cane on Thursday 22 May 2025, which saw 141,607.44 tonnes of cane processed (including organic), followed by the commencement of the core season on Wednesday 11 June 2025. Millaquin Mill crushed a record throughput of 1,309,469.90 tonnes for an average CCS of 13.73, ceasing operations on Saturday 20 December 2025.
Seasonal rain saw some tremendous growth in the young ratoons and the demise of the CCS towards the end of the season. Bundaberg Sugar was able to achieve a very credible performance by Millaquin Mill this year except for the failure of No. 5 Mill whilst No. 2 Mill was also offline. The decision to keep going with No. 2 and No. 5 mill bypassed was greatly appreciated albeit with a reduced throughput. Our assessment was that mill availability was around 95% with an average throughput of 290 tonnes per hour. This put Millaquin Mill near or on top of the performance of all Queensland mills.
The transport system struggled throughout the season with prolonged bin deliveries resulting in bins not being filled, and cut to crush times blowing out, somewhat caused by difficulty in finding truck drivers.
We work closely with Bundaberg Sugar management in representing growers’ needs and I would particularly like to acknowledge Guy Basile, Giuseppe Barazza, Lincoln Williams, and Michael Green for their efforts during the 2025 season.
2025/26 saw some great achievements gained for the Bundaberg sugar industry and we resourced a number of strong advocacy campaigns targeting sustainable electricity and water pricing, transport, reef regulations, right-to-farm, science integrity and local Council issues.
Reef regulation requirements were introduced to our region in 2019 and Bundaberg CANEGROWERS remain strongly opposed to regulations for the Burnett Mary catchment. It is unjustifiable to include a region outside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park that can have no impact on it. However, we continue to support our growers to meet their regulation requirements including assistance with soil tests, record keeping and N & P Budgets.
Bundaberg CANEGROWERS has representation on the Coastal Burnett Groundwater Management Advisory Committee and continues to provide secretarial requirements of that organisation. We have direct representation on the Agricultural Sector Advisory Committee, Paradise Dam Reference Group and Sunwater Customer Advisory Committee.
We were pleased that Sunwater agreed to continue the electricity cost pass through trial for the 2024/25 year confirming a return to customers of $15.50/ML. The outcomes of the trial saw the following overcollection from electricity allowances returned to Bundaberg Scheme Irrigators:
- 2020/2021 – $14.88/ML resulting in $1,913,400 returned by credits across the scheme.
- 2021/20222 – $13.26/ML resulting in $695,2000 returned by credits across the scheme.
- 2022/2023 – $12.29/ML resulting in $732,200 returned by credits across the scheme.
- 2023/2024 – $15.46 resulting in $1,310,925 returned by credits across the scheme.
- 2024/2025 – $15.50/ML resulting in $1,247,520 returned by credits across the scheme.
Energy is paramount to irrigated agriculture and electricity remains one of our largest input costs. Electricity tariffs available to growers can vary from a simple one price all day and night like Tariff 20, to more complicated tariffs that have a peak, off peak and shoulder time of use charges. Our Electricity Bill Check service has ensured that growers remain on the best tariff to suit their situation and that new tariffs are promoted and understood. It is in everyone’s interest to keep input costs as low as possible.
The Irrigation Pricing Rebate Scheme opened for applications to receive a 15% rebate to eligible businesses on bills issued by Sunwater, including Burnett Water and staff are available to assist with applications.
Bundaberg growers continued to have full access to the QSL Direct Portal and were advised of the release of the new QSL FlexPay product available for the 2026 Season and beyond. The ICE11 price crashed and the Aussie dollar continued to rise and a larger than expected drop in sugar price saw some negative adjustments and a decline in the final Harvest Pool Price for the 2025 Season. Glenn Harris announced his departure from QSL and Menn Mutton was appointed to the position of QSL Southern Qld Grower Relationship Officer.
We had the privilege of hosting Tony Perrett MP, Minister for Primary Industries, for a visit aimed at highlighting the significance of the Bundaberg sugar industry. Key issues discussed included Reef Regulations, biosecurity, water, right to farm, bio-fuels and the 25-year road map to grow Queensland’s primary industries to $30bn by 2030. The Minister’s tour included a visit to local cane farms as well as the Bundaberg sugar terminal, facilitated with the assistance of QSL and STL. The continued viability of agriculture in Bundaberg is essential for the regional economy.
Our work with Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) continued on a project to identify the current challenges and potential solutions to recycle agricultural off-the-road (OTR), end-of-life tyres (EOLT) in key production regions across Queensland.
The QFF SmartAg Queensland project continues to go from strength to strength having delivered training to more than 80 growers and employees in Bundaberg since June 2024.
Fuel prices surged following the late February closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the sudden price shock saw waves of uncertainty for the industry leading up to the 2026 harvesting season. The spike in diesel prices has eroded farm profit margins even further at a time when sugar prices are also low.
Early March saw the remnants of a slow moving tropical low-pressure system deliver a huge amount of rain in the catchment of the Burnett, causing a flood of a magnitude similar to the 2010 flood level with flows of approximately 907,000ML/day overtopping Paradise Dam by 7 meters, at this stage Paradise was four times it’s capacity. The rainfall event was desperately needed but the rain intensity caused some serious damage and erosion across the district. QRIDA announced Exceptional Disaster Assistance Recovery Grants following the floods with grants of up to $75,000 available to eligible primary producers.
Bundaberg’s Sweetest School competition kicked off with an aim of encouraging hands-on learning by bringing agriculture into the classroom. Under the guidance of industry professionals, primary schools across Bundaberg, Childers and Gin Gin will plant, nurture and harvest their very own plot of sugarcane with the crops being judged and winners announced at the 2027 Gin Gin Show.
We welcomed 18 young growers from Herbert River and the Burdekin to the region supported by CANEGROWERS Herbert River, CANEGROWERS Burdekin and QCGO grower Directors and their respective district managers. The young growers participated in a local farm tour to view a multi-cropping enterprise followed by a Q&A session with local staff and Directors.
Bundaberg CANEGROWERS celebrated a Century of CANEGROWERS with the historic grounds of Fairymead House providing a fitting backdrop for local cane farmers and their families to gather to commemorate a landmark – a century of CANEGROWERS. The Centenary Picnic served as a tribute to an industry that has remained the lifeblood of the Bundaberg region.
I acknowledge on behalf of Bundaberg CANEGROWERS and thank our Mayor and Councillors, and our local members of Government both State and Federal for their support in 2025/26. Their continued support to gain a better outcome for growers is much appreciated. All three levels of government can have a profound impact on what we do as an organisation and on how we individually operate our farms.
I also recognise our fellow industry service providers, Bundaberg Sugar Services Limited, Bundaberg Regional Irrigators Group, Bundaberg Ag-Food & Fibre Alliance Ltd, QSL, STL, Sugar Research Australia and Women in Sugar for their valued services and products. We have strong mutually beneficial and professional relationships with all of our industry service providers including Bundaberg Sugar. We collaborate where we can but, when necessary, recognise that our members come first in every instance.
To those members who have lost family and loved ones in the past year, I offer the Board’s and staff’s sincere and heartfelt condolences.
We are facing challenging times, and the Board and staff of Bundaberg CANEGROWERS remain committed to providing grower biased, needs based and outcome focussed services, representation and leadership.
We have hard working and capable staff and on behalf of the Board and members, I thank them for all that they do to ensure we are represented.
Thanks also to my fellow Directors for their valued input and support over the past year and finally, thank you to you, our members.
Mark Pressler
Chairman