In short:
Isis Central Sugar Mill is seeking financial assistance as it lags tens of thousands of tonnes behind the crush target.
asserted
it → seek → target
Growers want certainty about its future as they need to plant two years in advance.
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they → want → advance
Talks are underway to secure a $9 million state loan as the mill's chief executive pushes for the federal government to match the funding.
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government → secure → funding
The country's last grower-owned sugar mill is seeking a multi-million-dollar loan from the Queensland government to keep it afloat.
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mill → own → it
Isis Central Sugar Mill, four hours north of Brisbane, has been crushing cane for 129 years.
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Mill → crush → years
It employs 250 people during the on-season and supports more than 1,500 jobs across the supply chain.
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It → employ → chain
The 2026 season has been plagued by mechanical issues, including one of the mill's two boilers being offline for five weeks, reducing the crushing rate.
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one → plague → rate
The mill is aiming to crush just under 1.2 million tonnes this year, but is 51,000 tonnes behind schedule two months out from the end of the season.
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mill → aim → season
Isis Central Sugar Mill chief executive Simon Brooks said work stoppages contributed to the financial strain, but most of the pressure was due to global market conditions.
"
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most → say → conditions
We're absolutely dependent on the sugar pricing for our revenue and, where you see a reduction in that sugar pricing, you have a corresponding reduction on your bottom line," Mr Brooks said.
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Brooks → see → line
The mill's board said it had reached an in-principle agreement with the state government for a loan capped at $9 million.
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it → say → million
The money is expected to cover expenses until September 2027, just before the end of the annual crush.
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money → expect → crush
Mr Brooks wants the federal government to match the state funding, noting a promising business case for a bioenergy precinct adjacent to the mill.
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government → want → mill
"$18 million would go a long way to providing security,"he said.
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million → go → security,"he
"The business strategy is to diversify.
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strategy → diversify → ?
"We will still be a mill at the end of the day, but there's so much more we can do to make ourselves less dependent on pure sugar output, and that's doing more with assets that we have."
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we → be → that
About 200 growers, from the Fraser Coast through to the North Burnett, supply cane to Isis Central Sugar Mill.
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growers → supply → Mill
Throughput at Isis increased 50 per cent when it started accepting cane from the Maryborough district following the closure of the town's local mill in 2020.
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it → increase → 2020
Maryborough Canegrowers chair Roger Bambling said it would be devastating to endure another mill closure.
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it → say → closure
"It would leave a big hole,"he said.
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It → leave → hole,"he
"The whole secret is just to keep talking to each other, the mill and the growers.
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secret → keep → other
In addition to the sugar prices and maintenance costs, transport accounts for a large portion of the mill's rising expenses.
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transport → account → expenses
About 100 truck trips are needed each day to transport cane from Maryborough to rail transfer stations bound for the mill.
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trips → need → mill
"Road freight is expensive, and we're looking at how to better manage that," Mr Brooks said.
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Brooks → look → that
Conditions to crush
Queensland Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett confirmed discussions were underway.
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discussions → crush → Industries
Details of the state government's potential $9 million loan were still being finalised, but it was expected to come with a three-year term, and repayments could include a grower-paid levy.
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repayments → finalise → levy
Farmers said they were happy to pay any potential levies but feared there was not enough certainty.
Third-generation canegrower Tony Russo had started planting for next year's crop, cautiously planning for future seasons.
"Everybody's concerned, but a lot of people have got that positive mindset that we've got to still grow and present as much cane as we can because, if we start not growing the cane and not putting the fertiliser on and not watering, then we don't have tonnes and we have more of a problem," Mr Russo said.
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Russo → say → problem
It is a fight canefarmers throughout Queensland know all too well.
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canefarmers → know → Queensland
Mossman Mill in Far North Queensland went into voluntary administration in 2023 after receiving nearly $48 million in state and federal assistance.
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Mill → go → assistance
On the Gold Coast, about 50 growers who supply Rocky Point Sugar Mill will lose their cane supply agreements after 2027.
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who → supply → 2027
The state government is working to support affected farmers.
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government → work → farmers
Mr Russo hoped Isis Central Sugar Mill's partnerships and progress on biofuels could be enough to get governments on board.
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partnerships → hop → board
"Everybody's talking about bioenergy, jet aviation fuel, so there is some light at the end of the tunnel," he said.
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he → talk → tunnel
Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Anthony Chisholm said the federal government was engaging with operators of the mill.
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government → say → mill
"We understand the importance of the Isis Central Sugar Mill to its workforce and the region's canegrowers," he said.
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he → understand → workforce
The Aporia