Gold Coast canefarmers 'devastated' after sugar mill terminates contract

Gold Coast sugarcane farmers are in limbo after the owner of one of Queensland's oldest mills told them it will stop crushing their cane.The Rocky Point sugar mill at Woongoolba, on the northern Gold Coast, has been owned by the Heck family since it was established in 1878.About 50 canegrowers were issued a notice from David Heck, the governing director, advising that the mill would terminate their cane supply agreement at the end of the 2027 season.Rocky Point District Canegrowers chair Greg Zipf said growers were devastated by the decision."Under our contractual arrangements with the mill, they have a period, like a certain date, that they actually have to give us notice if they were going to extend the agreement or they were going to terminate their agreement," Mr Zipf said."Their agreement with us still remains in place for the 2026 season and 2027 season, but at the end of 2027, that will be it."The Rocky Point sugar mill is set to cease operations after 2027. (Supplied: Canegrowers)Mr Zipf said the notice did not provide a detailed explanation for the decision."There was no reason, which is very, very odd," he said."Look, it's devastating, it's very sad."Mr Heck refused to confirm whether the mill would permanently close.He told the ABC he would be able to provide a better update on its future in September.Growers face uncertain futureThe Rocky Point region produces up to 290,000 tonnes of sugarcane each year.Mr Zipf said the impact of losing the mill would have a "ripple effect" across the wider Gold Coast community."It's going to be felt across certainly all the families that currently grow cane and rely wholly and solely on cane and, further to that, will be all those businesses that supply goods into the industry itself … it'll be felt far and wide," he said.Mr Zipf said the closure was not entirely unexpected, given the number of sugar mills that had shut across Queensland over the past two decades.The most recent was Mossman Mill in Far North Queensland, which went into liquidation in 2024, leaving farmers in financial and logistical limbo over the future of agriculture in the region."Sugar milling is a volume game, and they need tonnes through their factory to make it pay, and the Rocky Point Sugar Mill is no different in that sense," Mr Zipf said."It's got to a point where it's lost its critical mass and there's a number of factors why that's happened … and that sugar mill will have to close."Rocky Point canefarmers were given notice in June. (ABC Rural: Jennifer Nichols)Race to find another millRather than abandon the industry, Rocky Point growers are now looking for ways to keep growing cane once their local mill stops crushing.A working group involving canegrowers and other industry stakeholders is investigating whether cane could be transported to Condong Sugar Mill in northern New South Wales, about 100 kilometres away."We've actually engaged some trailer manufacturers to potentially look at the most efficient way that we can cart the highest possible payload that we can to New South Wales," Mr Zipf said."But look, we're not going to lie down and throw our hands in the air and say, 'We're done.' We're going to be proactive about it and see if we can come up with a resolution."Owen Menkens, chairman of Canegrowers, said the organisation was working with affected growers to explore their options."Sugarcane is a big employer in both the milling sector and in the growing sector," Mr Menkens said."It keeps a lot of people employed in a lot of different ways and I think it'll definitely have an effect on the Gold Coast community."It's obviously distressing, this period, but I have faith in the growers to be able to come up with a solution."Prime real estateThe uncertainty surrounding the mill comes at a critical time for the wider Rocky Point region.The cane growing area is sandwiched between the Gold Coast and Logan and is one of the last major areas of undeveloped land south of Brisbane.The Rocky Point cane growing region is one of the Gold Coast's last undeveloped sites. (ABC News)Developers have expressed interest in buying the cane fields in previous decades as the sugar industry has become less viable.Gold Coast deputy mayor and area councillor Mark Hammel said planning for the future of the district was now a priority."The commercial realities facing both the mill and the industry are well understood," Cr Hammel said."While we all hope to see the strongest possible outcome for growers, we also have a responsibility to prepare for what comes next."Our focus is on ensuring any transition is managed in a way that gives farming families certainty, protects their livelihoods wherever possible, and preserves the region's rich agricultural heritage."