A bund wall has been constructed to protect the valuable milling assets of the Condong Sugar Mill, located on the banks of the Tweed River.
In a media release, managers of the mill said, ‘The Condong Sugar Mill has been operating in the Tweed Valley for 145 years. While it has remained a constant over that time, it has faced many challenges and undergone modifications and modernisation works’.
‘The latest upgrade to the mill has been the construction of a bund wall within the milling precinct to protect valuable milling assets.
‘The height of the bund wall is 250mm higher than a 1-in-500-year flood level and the highest previous recorded flood (since 1880) which occurred in 2022.
‘The bund wall project is jointly funded by the Australian and NSW Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, with $2 million provided through the Supply Chain Support Program to deliver essential flood-mitigation works at the Condong Sugar Mill.
‘Federal Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain said the new bund wall at the Condong Sugar Mill is a vital investment that protects critical milling infrastructure and supports the workers and cane growing families who depend on the mill.
‘This joint government funding is helping strengthen the mill’s resilience to future floods, reducing recovery costs and giving the local industry greater confidence to operate well into the future.’
NSW State Minister for Agriculture and Regional Development Tara Moriarty said this program has been crucial in helping businesses and communities recover from flooding by funding essential repairs and equipment replacement.
‘The NSW Government is committed to supporting communities impacted by natural disasters by helping businesses build resilience and safeguarding specialised jobs and skills in regional areas.’
Operations Manager, Phil Scroope acknowledged the significance of the combined State and Federal Supply Chain Support Program, through which Sunshine Sugar secured $2 million in funding.
‘With the total cost of the construction being $5.3 million, the government supply chain funding allowed us invest the balance of funds required to minimise the financial impact of a future flood event and ensure the sustainability and resilience to operate into the future,’ he said.
Minimise flooding impacts
The media release says, ‘Although the wall does not protect the entire site, the project scope included modifications to assets that sit outside of the bunded area to minimise the impact of flooding. This included lifting selected equipment such as switchboards’.
‘In addition, flood gates have been installed to maintain access around the site; storm water pipes and flood pumps are in place to remove water from inside the bunded area; valves to prevent back flow of stormwater along with a raised storage area for lubricants, chemicals and spare parts have been established.
‘The project which kicked off in 2024 has recently reached completion. Sunshine Sugar employees have worked closely with numerous specialist contractors to achieve this outcome, including, Greg Clarke Building & Construction, Cozens Reagan Civil Design, AWMA Flood Gate installers, Actemium Electrical, and Edwards Plumbing’.
Mr Scroope praised the support the local sugar industry has received from the honourable Tara Moriarty MP and Kristy McBain MP.
‘Without this funding we would be faced with the prospect of excessively high insurance premiums and costly repairs with every severe weather event in future. The support for local industry from State and Federal governments is both a helping hand and recognition for the role we play in the community and economy’.
‘The Condong Sugar Mill located on the banks of the Tweed River was built in 1880. It remains a thriving operation that employs hundreds of local people and services more than 180 local cane farming families’.
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