Poor outlook on Wide Bay Aurizon
The closing of several freight depots on the central Queensland coast could make it hard to get anything moving, one Mayor says.
Transport firm Aurizon is shutting down its depots in Gayndah, Mundubbera, Monto, Murgon, Biggenden, Bundaberg, Gympie and Hervey Bay.
The operator says 25 of its staff have been offered redundancies or redeployment in other areas.
North Burnett Mayor Don Waugh says the loss of one of the region’s main providers will increase expenses for many businesses.
“What it costs to get a pallet through this area all goes on top of what it costs for people to buy it in the shops and it's accentuated in this situation because road transport is all we have and it's one of the things we do need to make governments aware of because the cost of living in country areas is increasing all the time,” he said.
“We don't have a rail corridor any more so the only way that goods get into the area is through road transport and it's affecting businesses and people in country areas.”
Word from Aurizon suggests the company made the changes to save money, and operate more ‘sustainably’. The trucking firm will now base itself out of larger freight hubs and focus its service on the biggest volume clients.
It appears with one of the biggest players gone, a niche may be developing for expansion of Wide Bay-specific services.
An Aurizon spokesperson said Wide Bay staff were consulted in the process.