Cotton Industry Transport Information tour hits Qld road

Cotton Australia Field Policy Manager, James Houlahan says the Cotton Industry Transport Information tour was specifically planned to display and promote the high level of technology that represents the modern Australian cotton growing industry and to showcase some specific examples of grower and industry investment in designing, testing and utilising proven effective systems for the safe loading, restraint and transporting of cotton round modules, bales and machinery.

The information tour follows an earlier face to face meeting between key cotton industry stakeholder representatives and senior QLD DTR policy managers and initiated by Cotton Australia.

Mr Houlahan said the broad aim of this activity was to highlight current and potential future issues impacting on the cotton industry transport supply chain and to inform deliberations between QLD DTR and CA towards maintaining the continued growth and sustainability of the cotton industry and cotton communities where associated heavy vehicle road transport safety is managed in a practical, responsible and economically viable manner.

Starting in Dalby, the tour moved to visit to Jamie Grant’s farm at Jimbour and watched a practical demonstration and inspection of a cotton round module load restraint system for transporting of cotton round modules from farm to cotton gin. It was also an opportunity for the QLD DRT policy managers to kick the tyres and have an up close and personal inspection of the new John Deere 7760 round bale cotton pickers.

The group then literally followed the path of the cotton module transport operator to a local cotton gin, where Queensland Cotton’s Marketing Services Manager, Allyse Morris facilitated a tour of the gin and opportunity to observe cotton bales being loaded on trailers for road transport to Brisbane port.

Cotton Australia will now maintain ongoing discussions with QLD DTR, ensuring an open dialogue continues between both road transport regulators and the cotton industry.

Cotton Australia