road and rail options mt m to mourilyan port

I have copied the options on the Mt M to Mourilyan Port in a new thread as the other one had the wrong heading and was getting pretty long....I have joined the three posts and edited the headings and spelling etc ....

http://www.pcq.com.au/mourilyan_community.cfm

that link is where I have headed for a read......

Just read the strategic land use plan, my first thoughts are that there is limited port land for storage and handling and loading for a coal operation but I'll ring the port manager and enquire as to his/her thoughts on the possible expansion for coal. Environmental ( mangroves) buffers ,lot's 8 and 9 appear to be the restraint. There is plenty of land but it is identified in the LUP as env' buffer. ( not that that has prevented the port of Gladstone). lot 3 has some appropriate use reserved but I'll google the map to see the terrain and if it is cleared and vacant.
The Mourilyan port land use plan link....

http://www.pcq.com.au/downloads/MourilyanLUP.pdf

From the Port's website..."Molasses is exported through the port by Queensland Sugar Limited (QSL) on behalf of Australian Molasses Trading Pty Ltd and Bundaberg Sugar Ltd. Some live cattle are also
exported and new trade opportunities are being sought to support regional development".

The last sentence is encouraging...."new trade opportunities are being sought to support regional development".....we'll see if they walk the talk or not. I have sent an email to Martin the port dev mgr as an initial enquiry .

The google satellite map shows vacant land and the land use plan show large areas of what appear to be undeveloped ( not cleared) free hold land adjoining the port. The google map reveals no residential constraints for access from the Bruce Hwy.
I don't know if this links but typing in Mourilyan Harbour in the google maps search will bring it up.

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

the port facilities land is just 6km from the Bruce hwy and the township of Mourilyan.
Boogan rail station is 4km to the south west of Mourilyan.
between the station and the port are what looks like cane farms who I would expect would at first be opposed to a new rail unloading and connection to the port but, who knows, if the WA state gov' allows andrew forrest to build one through the pilbara, qld should be open to a 8km (direct) extension to open up a new strategic export opportunity for qld's congested existing coal ports. Cane farmers are business people and may like some funds from an access agreement.
Am checking alternative rail routes to bypass cairns to the south to avoid the congested residential and tourism areas of Cairns and surrounds........
There appear some opportunity in avoiding Cairns ( which seems to have little land for coal handling and storage). If a rail track is re laid from Mt M to the Dimbulah line, then a new 4km track laid south of Mareeba to link from chewko to the existing line along the Kennedy hwy to Atherton section then a new section about 20km long from Atherton down the range to Little Mulgrave where the maps show an existing extension form there to Gordonvale. rail then to Boogan and a new 6km track to the port of Mourilyan.

Plenty of upgrades to existing tracks and infrastructure but looks to be a possible route from Mt M to the Port of M which avoids Cairns in a reasonably direct route. The contours down from Atherton to Gordonvale will be a challenge though. Will be interesting to see the desk top study and if it identifies this alternative. Qld Rail are blowing their trumpet about how much they are doing for the coal industry in Qld so this might call their bluff, lol :)

Will be interesting to hear Ian's reaction to my suggestion. lol. If someone else has a better solution I'd love to discuss etc.
Maybe it will be simpler ( cheaper and quicker from an operational perspective)to just truck it all the way along the same route, there are roads along the route I have identified.
Anyways, something to talk about.
cheers FS.