Our projects
Wolseley upgrade
Viterra is making a $35 million investment in our Wolseley site to improve safety, expand the site and create efficiencies and value for our grower and buyer customers and the local community.
This project is our single largest investment in our upcountry network and aims to meet the evolving needs of growers and the industry now and into the future.
It will improve the grower delivery experience with additional bunker storage, state of the art classification centres and new and extended weighbridges, marshalling areas and roadways.
It will also transition the site to fast rail loading which will provide reduced freight costs that we pass back to growers and help move more tonnes to our Adelaide ports for export in the first half of the year to meet our buyer customers' needs, assisting growers to achieve a premium for their grain.
Our Wolseley site is a key asset in the Viterra network. Being situated on the Melbourne to Adelaide freight rail line, it plays a significant role in supporting local grain growers in the south east region of South Australia, and western Victoria, and connecting them with domestic and international consumers.
This investment is in addition to the $75 million we currently invest into our sites each year where it provides the greatest value to our customers through creating efficiencies, improving reliability and ensuring the long-term sustainability of our network.
The project
Stage 1: improving the safety and efficiency of the delivery process for growers and carriers
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larger marshalling area, to improve access to the site during peak harvest periods and prevent trucks queueing on the external road
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upgrade to existing roadways and new roads to make it safer and easier for everyone to move around site
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automated samplers which provide a more accurate sample of growers’ grain
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two state of the art classification centres which will improve turnaround times onsite
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two automatic weighbridges, with one new and one existing upgraded to 50 metres to meet increased truck sizes
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extending and constructing new bunkers, increasing storage capacity to 400,000 tonnes
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upgrade of the existing onsite stormwater system to limit run off into the council system
Stage 2: bringing fast rail loading to the site to be able move more grain to port to meet demand
- two rail bins which will allow us to fill a 50 wagon train in under two hours, in comparison to the eight hours it currently takes at Wolseley
- an inload shed for trucks to fill the bins, this will allow all weather loading to prevent delays when moving grain to port
- construction of a rail loop (managed by rail freight provider Aurizon), allowing trains to loop around the bunker site for continuous loading
Proposed design
The benefits
This project is an important step in Viterra’s focus of making the South Australian supply chain more efficient to compete with interstate and international markets of Black Sea, Canada, US and South America. It’s one of the many long-term investments we’re making to strengthen our network to the benefit of growers, buyers, the community and industry.
| Local community |
|
|---|---|
| Growers |
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| Buyers |
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The timeline
| 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June (Stage 1) |
July (Stage 1) |
September (Stage 1) |
November (Stage 1) |
October - December (Stage 2) |
|
stakeholder engagement works contracts awarded |
submit development application |
classification, weighbridges, road works start (pending approvals) |
classification, weighbridges, road works complete bunker site and stormwater works start |
stakeholder engagement works contracts awarded submit development application |
| 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| February (Stage 1) |
April - June (Stage 2) |
July - September (Stage 2) |
| bunker site and stormwater works complete | fast rail works start (rail loop, rail bins, rail loader) | fast rail works complete |
Stage 1 FAQs
Viterra has engaged a stormwater specialist to assess the existing and potential project-related stormwater impacts. The project will include an upgrade of the existing stormwater detention basins to prevent stormwater runoff from the site.
We will apply appropriate mitigation strategies to reduce potential noise generated by operational activities and vehicle movements. Viterra has engaged a noise specialist to assess the potential project-related noise impacts. Preliminary results indicate there would be no exceedances during daytime periods.
We will put in place mitigation strategies to reduce potential dust generated by construction and project-related vehicle movements.
We will provide a larger marshalling area, to improve access to the site during peak harvest periods and prevent trucks queueing on the external road.
The planned works for this project will not result in a significant impact on the visual amenity of the existing site as it is consistent with current site structure.
Viterra has engaged a heritage specialist to undertake a desktop assessment to determine the presence (and potential presence) of Aboriginal and/or historical heritage items of significance within the site.
Our construction environmental management plan will include details of the management and mitigation of unknown Aboriginal/historical sites and will outline the protocol for management of unanticipated finds.
Viterra has engaged a biodiversity specialist to assess the potential impacts to any threatened vegetation on site. Appropriate mitigation measures will be implemented to avoid or minimise potential impacts to biodiversity.
The project will be assessed via a Development Application under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016. The relevant consent authority will be the District Council of Tatiara.
Key steps and timeframes:
- Complete environmental assessments (quarter 2 2024)
- Public consultation (quarter 2 2024)
- Receipt of community and agency advice and other submissions (quarter 2 2024)
- Submit Development Application (quarter 3 2024)
- Viterra respond to submission, if required (quarter 3 2024)
- Determination of Development Application (quarter 3/4 2024)
- Commence construction (quarter 3/4 2024).